Mark Newman on Long Island roots, slide guitar, and songs with a conscience Steve Yusko reconnects with guitarist and songwriter Mark Newman for a wide-ranging conversation about his career, from Bleecker Street clubs and West Coast sessions to touring with The Blues Project and writing socially conscious songs like Tulsa and Ghosts. https://marknewman.us/ Mark also shares stories from the road with Sam the Sham, Willie DeVille, Bobby Whitlock, and John Oates, plus the gear, influences, and instincts that shaped his slide playing. The Dobro resonator guitar Mark uses for acoustic slide, how it’s set up in open D or open E, and how he mixes mic and pickup tones through amps like a Fender Twin or Deluxe. Playing with Sam the Sham, including the fast crash course in blues tradition Mark got from being handed Jimmy Reed and Muddy Waters records after trying to play too flashy on stage. Mark shares: Lessons from Willie DeVille and Bobby Whitlock about making the song his own while still respecting signature parts when necessary. In this episode: How he was chosen to open for the Doobie Brothers at the Paramount, plus how he pulled together a last-minute band from old collaborators. His songwriting process for topical songs, especially Tulsa, which addresses the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and the Greenwood district. Mark shares: Ghosts, a single co-written with Mike Mills, built around memory, regret, and the way the past keeps resurfacing. At the Border, written in response to the war in Ukraine and broader refugee and asylum issues, and how current events often drive his lyric ideas. Mark shares: The musicians he works with now, including Naomi Margolin, Sean Murray, John Cardone, Mike DeMayo, Kevin McKendry, and others across his various projects. Learn the story of Mark Newman, a master slide guitar and dobro player, in this exclusive interview about his music career. Mark Newman joins us on the podcast to discuss his journey as a musician and the collaborations that have defined his path in the industry. We explore his approach to playing the dobro and the unique techniques he uses to stand out on the slide guitar. This conversation offers listeners a look at the dedication required to build a lasting career as a professional artist. Subscribe for weekly interviews with talented musicians, and comment below with which artist you want to hear from next. Timestamps: 00:00 - Expectations on Mark Newman Interview 01:49 - Welcome to The Long Island Sound and Mark Newman’s return 04:06 - Joining The Blues Project and touring the West Coast 07:13 - Life on Bleecker Street in the 70s and 80s 09:58 - Early guitar history and the ukulele correction 12:14 - Playing with Delbert McClinton, Don Felder, and David Bromberg 12:50 - Opening for the Doobie Brothers at the Paramount 14:26 - Why Mark moved to Los Angeles from Atlanta 17:21 - Lowell George, Duane Allman, and slide-guitar influences 18:33 - The Dobro from Willy DeVille’s estate 21:25 - Little Feat, Sailing Shoes, and “Waiting for Columbus” 21:53 - The story behind Tulsa and the Greenwood district 26:21 - Releasing Ghosts as a single 28:23 - Memory, regret, and the meaning of the song’s shadow imagery 29:15 - What Mark learned from Sam the Sham 35:32 - Willie DeVille’s energy, humor, and artistic freedom 38:51 - Bobby Whitlock, Layla, and making the part your own 42:36 - John Oates, solo identity, and the challenge of being typecast Http://www.youtube.com/@thelongislandsoundpodcast?sub_confirmation=1
