Pop Quiz: Joe Henry

Joe Henry is one of the great unknowns - even though he won a Grammy for his work on Solomon Burke's "Don't Give Up on Me," wrote a hit for his sister-in-law Madonna, and has produced acclaimed works by Aimee Mann, Loudon Wainwright III, and Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint. Two two decades after starting his own music career, the Los Angeles singer-songwriter remains popular only to NPR listeners. His 10th solo release, "Civilians," probably won't change that, even though it's stuffed with clever literary-pop gems that evoke Tom Waits and Randy Newman. Henry performs Tuesday at the Great American Music Hall.

Q: Do you consider yourself a producer or a singer-songwriter first?

A: It's two sides of the same coin, and it's a very thin coin. I'm in the business of making something meaningful come out of the speakers.

Q: I understand you made your new album in your backyard?

A: I made it in total in my basement. But I've got a big basement.

Q: What do the neighbors think?

A: The neighbors have no idea what I'm doing down there. They may think I listen to the same song over and over, but that's it.

Q: Are you a one-man band?

A: No. I've got a fantastic stable of players - some of the best players in Los Angeles, like Bill Frisell and Van Dyke Parks.

Q: So the neighbors pretty much think you're a drug dealer?

A: They probably do. There are a lot of cars coming and going, a lot of sleepy people walking out of my house early in the morning.

Q: I had this image of you hanging out in tiki bars all day.

A: I'm sorry to tell you that's wrong. It's all theater. I'm not averse to any of it, but no. I don't hang out in tiki bars.

Q: In "Our Song," you sing about running into baseball icon Willie Mays at a Scottsdale, Ariz., Home Depot. Is that all made up?

A: Well, I didn't actually see Willie Mays, but don't let the facts get in the way of the truth. It's about trusting your process. It's an imagined encounter. The idea of Willie Mays showed up to tell me about the song.

Q: Is there even a Home Depot in Scottsdale?

A: I've never been to Scottsdale, but I imagine there is. If not, you and I should open one.

Q: Are the other songs all lies, too? You're not really going to get a divorce?

A: I'm certainly not about to do that. I appreciate that people are willing to buy all the way in just because I sing in the first person, but I don't have any interest in autobiographic songwriting. I never believe anyone is writing about his own life.

Q: If I go to my favorite coffee shop and it's closed, is that a song?

A: Might be one for you. I make my own coffee at home, so it wouldn't be a subject that would work for me.

Q: You played a member of Bob Dylan's band in an episode of "Dharma & Greg." What was that like?

A: It was strangely not strange. It was so surreal, it wasn't strange at all. We were all drinking a lot of gin, so it's all remembered through a haze.

Q: Are you the only person alive who's worked with both Ornette Coleman and Madonna?

A: Yes, as far as I know. I'm certainly the only person who's worked with Ornette Coleman, Madonna and Ramblin' Jack Elliott.

Q: That's the combo to have?

A: That's the trifecta. Anybody could hit two of those bases. The trick is to hit all three.

Q: I'm sure Elvis Costello could give you a run for the money.

A: We've actually had this conversation. He's worked with a lot of good people, but not that particular combination.

Q: Do you have any good stories about the time you were the opening act on a solo tour by Glenn Frey of the Eagles?

A: Not a single one. I've had that chip removed from my brain and donated to the Smithsonian.

To hear Joe Henry, go to www.joehenrylovesyoumadly.com.

E-mail Aidin Vaziri at avaziri@sfchronicle.com.