This week, we sit down to dive into the 2014 Jim Brown directed documentary Billy Joel - A Matter Of Trust: The Bridge To Russia, which gives a fresh perspective on Billy Joel's landmark 1987 of Moscow and Leningrad.

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Purchase Ashton Allen's 'Dewdrops' 20th Anniversary vinyl edition HERE.

Michael Grosvenor here. Every so often, Jack or I will do what we call a “Side Quest” episode. It’s a chance for one of us to give the other a break and dive deep into a topic outside of Billy Joel, or sit down with a friend.

This episode is a little of both. I’m joined by Ashton Allen, a fantastic singer, songwriter, human being. And a dear friend.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Dewdrops, Ashton’s debut solo album. To celebrate, we are reissuing the album for the first time on vinyl (available at https://ashtonallen.myshopify.com ), complete with bonus tracks, digital extras, and its long overdue return to streaming platforms.

Initially, this intimate, deeply personal collection was never meant for public release. The songs grew from journal entries written in the lead-up to and aftermath of his departure from his longtime band, Big Sky. They blossomed into songs during the quiet, uncertain, and contemplative time after that.

When those demos landed at the newly formed Livewire Recordings almost by accident, they were still just the private work of one musician trying to find his footing again. But with support from friends and a label that recognized their potential, they became the first bold steps of a songwriter taking the spotlight. 

What began as uncertain and impossible turned into a defining moment that built a passionate fan base and launched Ashton Allen’s solo career.

Ashton and I go way back - about 25 years - to when I first worked with Big Sky, the rock band from Gainesville, Florida, where he played bass. The band released 6 albums between 1995 and 2005 before he left. 

Over the past six months, Ashton and I have been working together on the reissue. Now that the album is streaming and available now for purchase at https://ashtonallen.myshopify.com , we sat down to reminisce about that time in our lives, the making of Dewdrops, and how his early career led to his solo debut.

What started as a catch-up between two old friends became a rare, candid look at the personal and professional journey behind a life in music.

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Join us as we unpack and rank Billy Joel’s 13 appearances on the Billboard Hot 100 Top Ten Charts.

Pre-Order Ashton Allen's 'Dewdrops' on Limited edition vinyl here: https://ashtonallen.myshopify.com

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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Recording engineer Brad Leigh touched nearly every song Billy recorded as part of his work restoring and remixing music for the HBO Max documentary "Billy Joel: And So It Goes."

We're rounding out our coverage of the doc with our thoughts on Part Two, our conversation with Brad, and more details from archivist John Jackson and production designer Steve Cohen about the upcoming Live at Sparks release in 2026.

Music courtesy of Sony Music.

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It took nearly five years to find and restore all the archival footage and audio in the five hour HBO documentary "Billy Joel: And So It Goes." 

John Jackson, the director of Billy Joel's archive, talks about tracking down footage, solving mysteries,  restoring damaged film reels, and his part in compiling the 10-hour "And So It Goes" companion album.

Music courtesy of Sony Music.

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Steve Cohen brought 50 years of experience working with Billy Joel to his role as an executive producer on the HBO documentary "Billy Joel: And So It Goes."

Steve talks about getting the often-private Billy to let filmmakers Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin tell the full story of his life and music.

He also teases a new archival release that's been on fans' wishlists for years, and draws the connection between Frank Sinatra and his team's unprecedented 10-hour companion album to the film.

Images Courtesy of HBO and Myrna Suarez

Music courtesy of Sony Music.

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To celebrate the release of the HBO documentary “Billy Joel: And So It Goes,” we’re going behind the scenes with directors Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin. 

We’re also getting behind the keyboards with Billy Joel fans who reacted in real time to Part One of the film starting when it officially dropped at 8pm EST on Friday, July 18, 2025. 

And, coinciding with the release, we’re also reviewing the latest album and streaming sales numbers and gold and platinum certifications for Billy’s songs and albums. 

There’s much more to come in our cover of Part Two. But for now, join us as we dig deep into Part One of “Billy Joel: And So It Goes.” 

Images & documentary clips Courtesy of HBO.

Music courtesy of Sony Music.

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Billy Joel's biggest fans know Jon Small as the drummer for The Hassles and Attila, the bands the two played in as teenagers and young adults in Long Island. 

Some may even recognize Small's further contributions to Billy's career as the director or producer of virtually all Billy's music videos and concert movies.

But, his behind-the-camera impact on popular music goes far beyond just one artist. 

As one of the first music video directors and producers of the MTV era, Small helped define the format with landmark videos and live concert recordings for everyone from the Beach Boys to Aerosmith and Run DMC to Shania Twain and Kenny Chesney. 

In June of 2025, Small spoke with Glass Houses on the eve of the Hassles’ induction into the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame. 

We published the first part of that conversation two episodes ago. Now, we're revisiting the rest of our fascinating, freewheeling fireside chat as Jon chronicled his almost accidental foray into music videos, and stories behind some of the biggest videos of the MTV era and beyond .

In July of 2025, Jon Small was honored by the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame when the Hall inducted the Hassles. 

A staple of the greater New York music scene in the late 60s, the group is best known today for featuring a teenage Billy Joel. 

Jon Small was the drummer, and he amd Billy went on to form the short-lived Attila before Billy launched his solo career.  

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Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

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Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC

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