Michael Blair

Michael Blair had much training in percussion, including a degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, by the time he pulled out the marimba, congas, drums and other instruments for Tom Waits’ landmark 1985 album Rain Dogs. As was the case with recent Caropop guest Mark Ribot, Rain Dogs propelled Blair to more work with Waits (including the album and Steppenwolf Theatre performances of Franks Wild Years) and projects with Elvis Costello and producers T Bone Burnett and Hal Willner. That’s Blair delivering the “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” riff on marimba on Costello’s cover of the song and playing a wild array of percussion instruments on Costello’s Spike. Blair tells how he landed the drumming gig on Lou Reed’s Magic and Loss and the unusual way that album's drums were recorded. He also relates how he wound up on the Replacements’ All Shook Down and why he has lived in Stockholm, Sweden, for many years. (Photo by Cato Lein.)