Nine Questions

Eb Eberlein

Eb Eberlein (named Mark when he was born) grew up in upstate New York and moved to Tucson in 1985. He's done stints as a U.S. Forest Service firefighter and a Grand Canyon guide. These days, he teaches science at Safford K-8 Magnet School and regularly performs original folk music. Eberlein is also the host of the miniprogram Arizona Trails, a guide to outdoor adventure, on community radio station KXCI FM 91.3.

What was the first concert you ever saw?

It was the late 1960s. There were chemicals involved. Could've been either the Byrds or Jethro Tull. It was probably at Madison Square Garden, and it was definitely pre-Woodstock.

What are you listening to these days?

I listen to jazz, and my kids have me listening to the current Top 40. I like country and singer-songwriter stuff, and everything from Frank Zappa to Mozart. I love Dixieland but also Miles Davis.

What was the first album you owned?

I bought two albums the same day: The Ventures' Super Psychedelics, and Duane Eddy's Have "Twangy" Guitar—Will Travel.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?

Electronica. There's a reason they don't call it electronic music.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

I'd like to see Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald do duets. That would blow me away.

Musically speaking, what is your favorite guilty pleasure?

My iPod tells me this is my favorite artist: Enya. She's my mellow-out, meditative music. I need that a lot.

What song would you like to have played at your funeral?

I got two: "Dusty Old Dust (So Long It's Been Good to Know Yuh)" by Woody Guthrie, and Enya's "How Can I Keep From Singing?"

What band or artist changed your life, and how?

J.J. Cale was a major influence, and when I got to open for him, he was a total jerk.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

I have three: The Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed, Miles Davis' A Tribute to Jack Johnson and Enya's Shepherd Moons.