Low Down and Dirty

Interviews and insights, mostly about rock and blues music, but also sports, fatherhood and expat life from 3X New York Times best-selling author Alan Paul.

“A one-man music mag from rock’s finest narrative storyteller.” – Ted Drozdowski, Premier Guitar

By Alan Paul

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The unhappy marriage of Clive Davis and the Allman Brothers Band

The legendary music executive died yesterday. Looking back at the Allman Brothers Band's troubled years on his Arista label.

24 hrs ago•Alan Paul

Ain't Wastin' Time No More: Gregg Allman Turned Grief Into a Manifesto. Now Duane Betts Is Doing It Again.

When the Allman Brothers lost Duane, Gregg wrote his way through it. Duane Betts is doing the same thing now. On grief, legacy, and what it means to…

Jun 22•Alan Paul

I Took My Parents to a Part of the Great Wall Most People Never See

As Father's Day weekend approaches, I remember the joy of taking my parents on a challenging walk outside of Beijing, just a year after I feared he…

Jun 19•Alan Paul

Photo Finish: Bo Diddley Takes A Bite

Take a bite out of this incredible photo of the rock and roll pioneer.

Jun 12•Alan Paul

Devon and Galadrielle Allman on Gregg’s Final Chapter and How He Embraced Family Later in Life

A conversation with Devon and Galadrielle Allman, Jonny Podell, Director James Keach recorded at the New York premiere

Jun 11•Alan Paul

Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us — Review and Video Highlights

Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Jackson Browne, Sheryl Crow, Public Enemy, Dion, Jimmie Vaughan, and more gathered for an unforgettable two-night…

Jun 8•Alan Paul

Julian Lage and the Endless Reinvention of the Guitar

A conversation with guitarist Julian Lage about tone, approach, why he chose jazz over the blues/rock he grew up around and so much more. A video…

Jun 2•Alan Paul

Please Call Home: What I Learned From 40 Years of Interviewing Gregg Allman

From late-night tour bus confessions to quiet moments offstage: What I learned about the man behind the Midnight Rider, on the ninth anniversary of his…

May 27•Alan Paul

Jaimoe: We were a jazz band

On Miles Davis' centennial — and the day after Sonny Rollins died — Jaimoe explains why the Allman Brothers were always a jazz band.

May 26•Alan Paul

Don't Keep Me Wondering: Inside A Lost Allman Brothers Band Concert

How the ABB ended up playing at Skidmore College 55 years ago tomorrow, May 15, 1971. You know the photos. Here's the full story.

May 15•Alan Paul and Davis Martin

The Last Free Women: The Great Escape

My wife has co-written a book on the evacuation of hundreds of Afghan refugees—an effort she helped lead while at The New York Times.

May 8•Alan Paul