It's a passion project that has been brewing since the mid-1990s for Gina Coleman, whose encounter with the legendary Odetta left a powerful impression. The moment when Gina and Odetta connected, sang side-by-side and locked together in harmony was a seminal moment in her career. This inspiration will come full circle in the form of a live album to be recorded May 12th and 13th in Studio 9 at the Porches Inn. The switch to acoustic and performing folk standards will be a switch for the Misty Blues. But pushing to the edges of the blues genre is nothing new for the band. And anyway, as Gina explains in this episode, African-American folk music is most certainly blues in her book. This performance and upcoming album comes on the heels of Misty Blues' most recent album "Outside the Lines," which includes a rich array of familiar voices and performers from the Berkshires and beyond. Gina and her band have not skipped a beat, not even during the pandemic, when they remarkably released three albums with the band members recording virtually. The beat goes on for Gina, and as someone who admits she basically doesn't sleep, there is surely more to come. We love it! Also in this episode we cover: the story of meeting Odetta at the Bottomline club in New York City as a guest of Arlo Guthrie, the decision to make this tribute a live album, growing up on the Bronx as hip hop and rap came on the scene, musical influences, including Motown and salsa, the earlier band Cole Connection and their acoustic funk style, a part in a Williamstown Theatre Festival production as a gospel singer that led to a transformative transition to blues, the rich variety of blues music, Gina's songwriting process and how much of it comes while she is driving, why she once utilized answering machines in her songwriting process, her son Diego choosing music as a major at Williams College, the evolution of Misty Blues from a blues tribute band to producing original music, the story of Charles Neville performing on an album, Gina's 27 years coaching rugby at Williams College and why the sport inspires her, performing at Firefly in Lenox and more.

I hope you'll enjoy my conversation with Gina Coleman.

When he saw too many kids without a focus and without something to do, especially as opportunities were fewer and farther between amid the pandemic, Dashine Moore took the steps to establish the Beat the Streets basketball program. Now in its third year, Dashine sees the value of the evolving program continue with the cost of traditional summer camps continuing to rise out of the reach of many young people and their families. Galvanizing the support of various nonprofits to make it all come together, Dashine has a particular drive to give back to the community as his own path has been a long and winding. This included five and a half years of incarceration. That experience is a lesson he shares with young people in the program to urge them to make better choices. His time away from his sons in prison also makes it all that sweeter to see the success of his boys, one in prep school and one who just won a state championship as a member of the Taconic High School basketball team. Dashine has a powerful story and I appreciate having the opportunity to share it in this episode. Also, we cover: Kicks for Kids and the support of Barrington Stage Company, the power of role models, legendary youth advocates Manny Slaughter, Shirley Edgerton and Valerie Hamilton, a community center, mentorship programs, financial literacy, his experience at Norfolk prison in Boston, his business Mr. Feets, the economics of sneakers, flipping sneakers, selling paintings, bringing back the Gather-In and more.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Dashine Moore.

Families with kids simply want more fun things to do in the Berkshires. Melissa and Ken Fawcett have shown that filling a part of this niche can be hugely successful, as the indoor playground, Ready Set Play, has been just about fully-booked for weekend parties from the very beginning when they opened in October 2022. Responding to the clear demand for working families seems to be a great business model for the couple, as their first venture Ready Set Learn was immediately successful. The demand was so high for their pre-K education and play center, they opened a second location. Interestingly, Melissa's jump into private business came when she ran into a bit of a roadblock as a teacher in the public schools. Hoping to move from teaching fourth grade to kindergarten or first grade, the transfer never happened. The rest is history, as Read Set Learn was born - first on Virginia Avenue, and then to a converted church at the corner of Dalton Ave. and Benedict Road. The second location on Wendell Avenue came next. We love Melissa and Ken's entrepreneurial spirit and her ability to turn their passion into new offerings, and in the case of Read Set Play, a new attraction to the Berkshires. In this episode we also cover: preparing children for the rigor in kindergarten and infusing more play, play is learning, remodeling a 100-year old church, the demand for quality pre-K education in the region, the reduction of recess time in public schools, the demand for more fun things to do for families in the Berkshires, the process of finding commercial real estate in the Berkshires, trampoline parks, laser tag, go-carts, the logistics of setting up Ready Set Play - the delivery, unloading and construction of the indoor playground (like a massive IKEA furniture build), booking 21 parties every weekend, the possibilities for the former Bed, Bath & Beyond space, living a dream as entrepreneurs and modeling that for their kids, taking calculated risks, the support of Nancy Shulman (formerly) of the Mass. Small Business Development Center Network and more.

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Melissa Fawcett.

It was deeply ingrained into his soul as a child as he listened to the jukebox at his Uncle John's, and with early vinyl records in the 1970s. That sound mesmerized young Tim Dupree and his early fascination with 50s and 60s rock n' roll, then soul and Motown music, never ceased. What also never left him was the love of the sound of vinyl, and over the years he has accumulated over 20,000 records and LPs. Today, as the warmer sound and tactile aspect has popularized vinyl again, DJ Pup Daddy (Tim's stage name) has carved a strong niche in the market with his use of those old (and sometimes new) records. And, by the way, that old jukebox was handed down to him and it remains proudly in Tim's home, along with a number of the vintage turntables and other equipment he has restored. I love this conversation with Tim, as he has truly followed his passion to make it a career. Also, in this episode, we cover the longevity (or lack thereof) of vinyl, CDs, 8-Tracks, cassettes, Tim's process of DJ'ing a party and "it's always spontaneous," growing up using walkie-talkies with his brother playing the role of DJ, back playing and "cue burn" on the turntable, direct drive vs. belt-driven turntables, why Tim shies away from working first weddings, scanning the dump and Goodwill for equipment, tube amplifiers, challenges and opportunities for downtown Pittsfield, dog sitting on the side and more.

I hope you'll enjoy my conversation with Tim Dupree (aka DJ Pup Daddy).