March Madness Special: A look back at The Fab Five

The Fab Five were in action just a few years after I graduated from U-M and I watched their exploits very closely.That made writing this story for Slam about a decade a go a special pleasure. It stands up well. Enjoy it as a March Madness moment. Leaders…
Q+A: Jim Yardley My friend the author on Yao, Lin and the Chinese basketball system. Originally posted Friday, March 9 on Slam Online. Jim Yardley was my friend and neighbor throughout the three and a half years I lived in Beijing.…
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Jimmie Vaughan on the blues greats he loves, and the brother he lost 20 years ago

Jimmie Vaughan: Powerful Stuff Originally published in Guitar World, July 2010 As he releases his first new album in nine years, Jimmie Vaughan celebrates the music he loves and remembers the brother he lost 20 years ago. It's…

From the archives: Mel Daniels, Slam Old School – A classic ABA interview

I just got word that the great ABA player Mel Daniels will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year. A well-deserved, far-too-late honor. To celebrate, here is a Slam Old School interview with Mel, conducted...several years ago. I…

B.B., Buddy, the Allman Bros, Pres. Obama and me

I was enthralled watching the live stream of last night’s White House celebration of the blues, the music which has been so central to my career and my life’s soundtrack. Mick Jagger was a big draw, of course, but he doesn’t mean that…

Jinshanling-Simatai Great Wall hike

I came across this video I made several years ago capturing the wild Wall hike I always loved to do. This time, I completed it with Jacob, then 10 or 11, my nephew Jesse, about 16, and a visiting friend Nico, 14. It was scorching hot and this…

An inside look at Chinese hoops

Once again inspired by Jim Yardley's wonderful new book Brave Dragons: A Chinese Basketball Team, an American Coach, and Two Cultures Clashing, I present my own experiences with Chinese basketball. I am in the process of interviewing Jim…

Thank you Canadians – check out this CBC broadcast

I suddenly started getting emails from Canadians; notices of new YouTube comments on "Beijing Blues" videos from Canadian readers; and CD purchase orders from Canadians. All of them said they had just heard a CBC broadcast about me, Woodie Alan…
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Inside B.B. King’s breakthrough hit, “The Thrill Is Gone”

Years ago, Guitar World dedicated an entire issue to the 100 Greatest Solos Ever. As with all such lists, it was somewhat arbitrary but a lot of fun. I wrote a lot of the entries, and will be posting them here randomly, as I see fit,sometimes…

RIP Jeffrey Zaslow – updated with eulogies and links to his columns

I was devastated to hear yesterday about the death of Jeffrey Zaslow, the great Wall Street Journal columnist and reporter and the author of many best-selling non-fiction books - a remarkable four in the last two years. I never met Jeff, but…