At 6 foot 1, Chris Black has earned the distinction of being one of Tucson's tallest punk-rock violinists. He is the proprietor of chrisblackmusic.com, and his new duo, Bajo Turbato (with Gabriel Sullivan), is breaking things at Plush this very evening, Thursday, Feb. 25.
What was the first concert you ever saw?
Buddy Rich. He played in a school gymnasium when I was a little kid. He entered the room playing the floor, the chairs, everything. He was terrifying. He looked meaner than hell.
What are you listening to these days?
Jascha Heifetz, endlessly. There's a massive online archive of Balkan dance music I just found out about, so that will keep me busy.
What was the first album you owned?
Pink Floyd, The Wall, on 8-track. I was little, and I used to think the guy was saying, "If you don't kick yer feet, you can't have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don't kick yer feet?!" I thought that for 20 years.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?
Black Sabbath. "Everyone's happy when the Wizard walks by?" Seriously? Every time I hear that song, my ninth-level paladin loses 6d20 hit points.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
Niccolò Paganini at the Red Room.
Musically speaking, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?
I don't have the capacity to feel shame, but I am compelled to explain my love for Ginuwine more often than anything else I listen to.
What song would you like to have played at your funeral?
I'd like Vicki Brown and Jimmy Carr to perform Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise" while the coffin is lowered, and then I'd like Gabriel Sullivan and his band to play "There Ain't No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down."
What band or artist changed your life, and how?
Tom Waits, Swordfishtrombones. It sounded like someone lifted the hood and showed me how music worked, underneath.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
Well, I guess I'll have to say the Mutiny/The Bad Seed compilation by The Birthday Party.
