The Crooked Road of Songs and Stories Michael Dinallo

On a rainy Monday morning in October, I sat down with my friends Alastair Moock and Mark Erelli. Our conversation, leaning heavily into folk and blues music, winds through influential records and artists for Alastair and Mark (and yours truly.) I hope you enjoy our conversation and have as much fun listening to it as we had talking and recording it.

I would be remiss not thanking Lorne Entress for introducing me to Alastair and Mark in what seems like another lifetime ago.

(You’ll have to pardon the frog that kept coming and going in my throat.)


I would be remiss not thanking Lorne Entress for introducing me to Alastair and Mark in what seems like another lifetime ago.

(You’ll have to pardon the frog that kept coming and going in my throat.)

Back in July, I sat down with Duke Levine and Kevin Barry. We discussed the beginnings of their individual musical journeys – with Duke’s starting in Worcester, Massachusetts and Kevin’s in Olean, New York. As you will hear, influential records and bygone clubs are also a part of our conversation. We wrap up with what’s next for Duke and Kevin.

A special thank you to photographer Nate Dow for providing the great image of Duke and Kevin.

On a pleasant spring afternoon, Duke and I talked about his life and career journey of discovering and playing blues, jazz, R&B, and rock-n-roll. We dive into his searching for 78rpm records and this collecting influence on the start of Roomful of Blues. The conversation wraps up discussing his new record “Six Strings of Steel.”

I spent an evening at the end of last year in Witch City, Salem, Massachusetts, with my dear friend Holly Harris. We talked about her career as one of the preeminent blues deejays in the United States and the world. One of Holly’s bona fides: W.C. Handy Keeping the Blues Alive Award. I hope you enjoy two friends reminiscing about the last 30 plus years. Thanks for listening.

As days wind down towards the end of the year, New Englanders take advantage of any nice autumn day. Last October, Peter Guralnick and I sat in his backyard talking while basking in the sun and the gentle fall breeze. As you’ll hear, our conversation was punctuated by the background sounds of the occasional car, chirping birds, wind gust, or motorcycle. I hope you enjoy our afternoon of talking as much as we did.