Author Archives: Evan Toth

PHOTO: RALF LOUIS | Sometimes, in order to go forward, you must first take a look at your past. Graham Nash has a rich and undoubtedly storied history behind him and he has recently released a live album titled, Graham Nash: Live which features him performing his first two albums—Songs for Beginners (1971) and Wild Tales (1973)—in their entirety. Mr. Nash will also be performing at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, NJ on July 13th.

Nash, however, has often focused on the future and shows no signs of slowing down. While he’s excited about this new live release, he’s also recently published A Life in Focus: The Photography of Graham Nash which showcases his longtime affair with photography. And, as we learn in this interview, he’s just completed a brand new solo album which is due to be released in early 2023. But in this chat, Graham and I talk about why he chose to revisit his first two solo albums and the experience of retracing the footsteps he made nearly a half-century ago.

Of course, we also discuss the Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, making long-term musical relationships work and how you can’t really envision where you’re going, unless you know where you’ve been.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

People don’t want to be songwriters so much anymore. Sure, maybe they want to write songs, but today it’s a part of some other greater, grander plan: maybe super stardom in one way or another; songwriting in the 21st century is often a means to an end.

But there was a time when a musical person recognized that they didn’t want to be the one surrounded in the stage’s spotlight, but did want to find the chops to write a song from scratch armed only with their voice, a piano, and maybe a cold cup of coffee. Things aren’t really that way anymore, and no one is really to blame, but there was a time, and I know just the person who can tell you about it.

Gilbert O’Sullivan wrote one of the most intriguing pop hits of all time, “Alone, Again (Naturally).” The song catches attention with its ear pleasing melody, but upon further listening, the fascinating dichotomy of the tune reveals itself and makes it evident to the listener that they are hearing the work of a master songwriter. The song has been covered by other artists countless times, but it’s Gilbert’s original that displays the full range of his skills and best encapsulates the composition.

That song may have been released in 1972, but Gilbert has been hard at work since then, writing songs in his home off the coast of the UK in Jersey. Not the Garden State, but just Jersey (or, old Jersey). He joins me on this episode to discuss two bits of exciting news: the first is that the states can expect a tour from him for the first time in 50 years, and the second is that he’ll release a new album of his latest compositions in the next year.

So, join us—just two Jersey boys—though we’re 3,500 miles apart. Gilbert and I discuss his career, his musical process, and what he does to keep things fresh for himself whenever he steps behind a piano to write a song. He’s written so many good ones, but he’s still got more to go. Naturally.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

PHOTO: MARYANNE BILHAM | Rock and roll didn’t waste any time growing up, even in the earliest years of its inception. Like a delicious batch of chili, it heartily welcomed extra ingredients and spices. In fact, it was those accoutrements which allowed the revolutionary musical style to splinter and create so many successful sub-genres.

Carlos Santana did more than anyone else in those early days to initiate and imbue strong Afro-Latin influences into a traditional rock and roll framework. But he continued—and continues—to grow, finding new musical landscapes to explore with the legendarily talented friends that he’s made along the way. Santana’s reputation, of course, precedes him: leader of the Santana rock outfit, Carlos has sold over 100 million records and played in front of 100 million people. Of course, he’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and has 10 Grammy and 3 Latin Grammy wins to his name.

Santana has recently released a new album titled Blessings and Miracles where he revisits the formula that brought him so much success with 1999’s Supernatural album. Blessings and Miracles finds a new duet with his partner, Rob Thomas, but also boasts heavyweight mutual collaborations with Steve Winwood, Chris Stapleton, and many others. In addition to his new album, Santana is also currently headlining a multi-year residency at House of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

So, I’m very pleased and honored to welcome Carlos Santana to the program. It was a thrill to discuss his career, but what you’ll find most interesting is the mystical way he looks at his life and experiences: through a lens of gratitude, joyfulness, and curiosity. So, grab my hand and let’s climb up this hill together to meet the wise man sitting at the top. Like any guru worth his salt, Santana looks at the complicated edges of existence and filters them to make everyday consciousness seem simple. See if you can see what he’s seeing.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

Some people are just so skilled and talented at their craft that you make judgements, you think they’re going to be one way, but they often turn out to be something quite different. I’ve learned not to judge books by their covers, but sometimes it’s hard to avoid.

I have so much respect for Bruce Hornsby, his writing, his performing, the fact that he’s one of the most adventurous musicians alive today; someone who resists looking backwards; he’s one of those rare breeds of artists who have their sights set on a goal off in the distance that we can’t see. So, you’ll have to excuse me if I was a bit intimated, assuming that, somehow, much of the conversation was going to go over my head.

But, wow—was I wrong. Mr. Hornsby couldn’t be a more affable, down-to-earth, engaging personality to chat with. In this episode, we discuss his brand-new album, Flicted, how it was pieced together during the pandemic but also represents a trilogy of sorts which compliments his most recent work.

The new album features some very talented special guests including Ezra Koenig from Vampire Weekend and Blake Mills. Of course, we discuss vinyl records and the ambitious and artistic path that he has forged throughout his musical career.

Sometimes you hear the adage that you don’t want to meet your heroes because your interaction with them might leave you disappointed. However, if you ever bump into Bruce Hornsby and have a chat, I can safely foretell your experience: you’ll walk away a bigger fan than you were before.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

If you consume any kind of media, then you’ve experienced the very talented Michael Des Barres. His presence is ubiquitous: he’s had a long history performing as a vocalist in rock bands, been on television hundreds of times, worked as an actor in many films, and now hosts his own music program on Little Steven’s Sirius XM channel, Little Steven’s Underground Garage.

So, it’s almost difficult to focus on just one of his projects without thinking about all of the other work he’s accomplished. On one hand, this episode features me speaking with the vocalist responsible for one of my favorite rock and roll songs, “Hello, New York” by Silverhead. But, simultaneously, I’m also speaking to Murdoch from television’s MacGyver. Few guests have such a dynamic background.

But Mr. Des Barres does his best to keep us focused on his career where it matters, he’s been there and done this before, so he can easily jump around topics all with the charm of a true rock and roll gentleman. Mostly, we’re here to talk about the band that Michael fronted during the 1970s called Detective who were signed to Led Zeppelin’s record label, Swan Song.

Their 1977 debut was recently reissued by the ORG Music record label and was completely sold out on Record Store Day. There’s a lot to discuss with Mr. Des Barres and he doesn’t shy away from any of it, including the role that drugs and alcohol played for part of his journey. But, he’s always focused on the positive side of things. He’s open about the bad and ugly experiences he’s had in his life, but, after all is said and done, he’s happiest when he’s talking about the good.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

To celebrate this week’s release of Top Gun: Maverick we revisit our recent TVD interview with Kenny Loggins. —Ed.

It’s an understatement to say that Kenny Loggins has achieved massive success in the entertainment industry. He’s been on the Billboard Top Ten charts over 20 times and sold over 25 million records. Many of the songs he’s created have become an important part of the musical fabric of a certain time and place in American history. All that aside, Kenny Loggins has had one of the most successful runs in history creating pop songs for film; so much so, that he’s known in the industry as “The Soundtrack King.”

Mr. Loggins celebrates his soundtrack kingdom by releasing a special vinyl compilation for 2021’s Record Store Day. The album will be called At the Movies and—believe it, or not—collects, for the first time ever, Loggins’ greatest soundtrack hits on vinyl, including “Footloose,” “Playing With The Boys” (Top Gun), “Danger Zone” (Top Gun), and “Nobody’s Fool (Theme From Caddyshack)” plus, it includes a newly recorded version of “Playing With The Boys.”

Kenny and I discuss the new release and his need to purchase a turntable—so he can hear it! But we go further: this industry legend gives valuable insight into how film music is different in today’s climate, he shares some stories about the ones that got away, and also describes the critical music magic that happened right in his own car.

These days, it’s hard to imagine the pre-internet impact and significance these blockbuster movies and songs had. While the films were all-encompassing cultural events, the soundtracks belonged to Kenny.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

Sometimes we take ourselves, and our music, too darn seriously. Of course, there are appropriate times for thoughtful contemplation, but there’s no harm in basking in the enjoyment that comes with creating or consuming art with wild abandon, and maybe being a little bit silly at the same time. It helps keep us sane and provides us with a youthful perspective on the mean old world in which we live.

We Are Scientists have always imbued some humor into their catalog of music; and what a catalog it is. With seven albums recorded over a 20 year span, Keith Murray and Chris Cain have consistently built a backlog of music that is fun, but also carefully crafted and with as many catchy earworms as are legally permitted. They both join me on this episode to discuss their latest release titled Huffy (100% Records) which is a straight ahead rock production featuring a number of songs that will be reverberating through your head during your next sleepless night.

We also talk about the unique design of the physical vinyl product: if you love stickers and customizing things with your own unique imprint, then you’ll want to hear what the band has in store for record collectors on this release. Join Keith, Chris, and myself as we explore the addictive hooks and production inherent in Huffy and how they’ve managed to cultivate their friendship after over two decades in showbusiness. There’s a lot of substance to this chat, but none of us could resist the urge to engage in plenty of silliness. Lighten up, let’s have a few laughs.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

The top of the Empire State Building is an impressive place to say that you’re doing any activity, and it’s even more exciting to say it’s where you’re hosting a radio program. That’s what listeners in the New York City area imagined when they tuned to Z100 on their radio dial. Okay, so maybe in actuality they weren’t broadcasting exactly from that lofty location, but the theatrical panache solidified Z100 into what is now considered perhaps the most influential radio station in the world.

However, there was a time when that claim was not true. In the early ’80s, a successful host from Florida was sent to the swampy Meadowlands of NJ to create a radio station that would rival all others in the New York City metro area. That man was Scott Shannon and he is my guest this week to discuss a new film that has been released which explores those primal days at Z100 and how they climbed from the bottom of the ratings to the top. It’s called From Worst to First and also features memories and interviews from Jon Bon Jovi, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, Debbie Gibson, and—of course—Scott Shannon.

Shannon joins me to discuss the path that led him to Z100, how playing it safe is a fool’s game, and what was so special about the musical mix cooked up by Shannon and his compatriots.

So, while we’re not joining you from the top of the Empire State Building, it doesn’t matter, Shannon long ago reminded us all that radio is, indeed, a theater of the mind. No one says that you can’t close your eyes and imagine Scott Shannon and I conversing on the 102nd floor of the most iconic, Art Deco skyscraper in New York City. Man, would you just look at that view?

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

When people think about the music of New Orleans, it’s usually the traditional jazz scene that comes to mind. But, NOLA is also one of the most consistent melting pots in our great country, so it’s bound to birth some amazingly unique and exciting music.

Born in the Big Easy, Tank and the Bangas honed their musical skills during their time as backing band in many of the city’s open mics before morphing into the Grammy nominated, NPR Tiny Desk Concert winning, soul, funk, hip hop group that they have become.

Norman Spence from the band joins us on this episode to discuss the crafting of the band’s latest release, Red Balloon. He explains his role in the group, how he uses his own vinyl collection as an instrument of sorts, and the myriad influences and ingredients that all the members of the band bring to the table to create their own unique musical jambalaya.

So, let’s promenade down to the Land of Dreams to learn more about what Tank and the Bangas have cooked up on their recent release. The sound may not be what comes to mind when thinking about New Orleans, but maybe it should be, maybe it is the sound of a new New Orleans.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

It’s hard to look back at the British Invasion and not be amazed at the level of skill and talent that came across the pond to impact and influence the revolutionary pop music that was being made worldwide at the time.

One of the major bands to break out of the UK was The Zombies who hit it big in 1964 with, “She’s Not There” and continued to have hits throughout the 1960s. The wonderfully romantic and singular voice of the band was that of Colin Blunstone who is my guest this week.

The career of the Zombies took a curious turn at the end of the decade, the band broke up soon after releasing their final album, Odessey and Oracle, but fate had other plans for the group. Their song, “Time of the Season” became a hit of epic proportions and Odessey and Oracle slowly grew into what is now seen as one of the cornerstone achievements in rock and roll history.

Following the break-up of the group, Blunstone set out to discover what the next move for his career was and began to release solo albums beginning with 1971’s, One Year which celebrates its 50th anniversary and is being re-released this year featuring 14 previously unreleased recordings and nine unrecorded compositions with never-before-seen photos and new liner notes penned by Blunstone. Of course, the project will include a new vinyl pressing mastered by Joe Lizzi and cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.

Blunstone continues to record and tour with the Zombies, but this anniversary is an important opportunity to take a peek into his solo career and pay special attention to his luxuriously exquisite vocals and unique artistic directions. Keep an eye out for Blunstone to visit the states soon and perform his inaugural solo album. During this interview, Colin’s computer—and my own—were both running low on battery power. Do we make it through the whole chat? You’ll have to listen to find out, but just remember, even rock stars need to charge their devices.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

It’s a crazy world out there, so why shouldn’t we take some time to stand on line, converse with fellow music lovers, and purchase some beautifully recorded and manufactured vinyl records? Record Store Day is just the opportunity to do such a thing and while many record labels have something interesting to offer, Craft Recordings continues to make an enduring name for themselves when it comes to catalog choices and excellent vinyl manufacturing quality.

To tell us all about it, Craft head of A&R, Mark Piro, joins me this week to explore Craft’s RSD releases and explain their backstories and the sonic chain of custody for each one. Craft’s offerings this year are certainly an eclectic bunch, we’ll discuss the following: A compilation from Craft’s Jazz Dispensary sublabel; the Go Ahead Punk…Make My Day West Coast punk compilation making its first appearance on vinyl; the 30th anniversary reissue of The Brand New Heavies’ Heavy Rhyme Experience: Vol. 1; the 25th anniversary of Conor Oberst’s early project, Commander Venus, The Uneventful Vacation; Vince Guaraldi’s Trio’s “Baseball Theme” which is available as a 7-inch single for the first time, Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section is here but this pressing is in all analog and in mono; Collective Soul’s 25th anniversary of their Disciplined Breakdown album, Esther Marrow’s 1972 under the radar gem, Sister Woman; and an all-analog 35th anniversary reissue of Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers’ final album, Modern Lovers 88.

You’ll hear us discuss all of these albums, and more: including some of the records found behind us on our competing record shelves. So, join Mark and I as we sort through Craft’s offerings for Record Store Day 2022 and enjoy the luxury of discussing the art of collecting and listening to great records.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

Record Store Day is on its way, but do you ever stop to think about the hard work that goes into such an event?

All of the special issues need to be cleared for copyrights and publishing. Designs and packaging have to be created and manufactured. Of course, the music must be mastered and actually pressed onto those vinyl discs that we love so much. There’s a lot that happens before you bring your chosen clutch of albums to your local record store clerk for purchase. On this episode, we’re fortunate to speak with Andrew Rossiter, General Manager and Partner at ORG Music who will give us a glimpse into the herculean task that goes into running a record label around this time of the year.

ORG Music, of course has some great Record Store Day releases in the pipeline, and Andrew is here to discuss them all in detail, as well. We’ll talk about a fabulous Brazilian compilation titled, Atenção!: Novos Sons do Brasil; there’s a reissue of The Sheila Divine’s, Where Have My Countrymen Gone; Jeannie C. Riley’s no nonsense Harper Valley P.T.A. album will be available on the shelves; Michael Des Barres’ 1970’s Zeppelinesque band, Detective finds itself re-released on glorious, super-glam silver vinyl, and—as ORG Music does each Record Store Day—there will be a carefully curated compilation of music from the Sun Records vaults; this particular release being their ninth. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s previously unreleased “Travelin’ Band,” Live at The Royal Albert Hall will be available as a limited-edition 7-inch single as well.

So, pull up a chair and eavesdrop on my chat with Mr. Rossiter who kindly allows me to ask him all sorts of questions about the new releases, but also about the behind-the-scenes mechanisms involved in running a record label, producing vinyl, developing meaningful liner notes, and offering a little something for everyone this Record Store Day.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

Spring fever is in the air and Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is just behind us: there’s no better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than with America’s Pastime. But what do music and baseball have in common? Well, aside from the fact that there have been numerous songs written about baseball—and conversely many classic tunes that have been used to pump up the energy level at a ballpark—both of them are connected to very voracious collecting communities: like vinyl records, baseball card collecting is also going through a renaissance.

Dr. James Beckett is no doubt the leading authority on all things baseball cards. In the late 1970s, Dr. Beckett began publishing price guides for cards and in 1984 founded Beckett Baseball Card Monthly which became the gold-standard for establishing card values. The magazine, and accompanying Beckett Media, grew tremendously; branching out into other products and sports and also becoming one of the leading card grading companies in the world. While he has since sold the company, he still retains a position as senior advisor.

He’s found a new legion of collectors, however, with his very popular podcast called Sports Card Insights and has currently completed his 724th program. During this interview, Dr. Beckett and I interviewed one another – in a way—each drawing parallels between collecting vinyl records and what many people consider the greatest hobby in the world, baseball card collecting. I was pleased—and honored—that he used some of our conversation on his own podcast; it was a great trading session.

So, take a seat, grab a hot dog and a cold beer as Dr. Beckett and I compare hobby notes; while we come from different worlds, you’ll be very surprised to learn we have many more similarities than differences. So, let’s play ball!

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

Even though listening to and collecting music are wonderful pastimes, it is when you’re able to actually share in the creative process of performing, creating, and playing music with someone else that true bonds are forged.

Avi Wisnia and I met while both performing at the now defunct New Jersey Songwriters Conference which took place, for many years, in beautiful Cape May, NJ. Avi would perform his set, I would perform mine, and many other talented songwriters would perform their sets as well. We all cheered each other on, networked, and learned more about each other, but also about the commonalities that many of us faced in the often difficult career path of songwriting and performing.

Like any good communal experience, not all of the relationships made during those conferences survived, but the very meaningful ones did. I’m pleased that Avi is one of the few performers with whom I’ve kept in touch and I was excited to learn that he’s released a new album titled, Catching Leaves. The album is a mature and adult contemporary affair that straddles the line between jazz, pop, and samba, commonly illustrating Avi’s musical individuality.

So, join me as I introduce to you this wonderful Philadelphia-based songwriter. We discuss the crafting of his new record, how it’s a real Philly experience, his historic musical lineage and much more. Most importantly, however, you’ll hear two musicians chew the fat about the hours we’ve both spent behind the piano keys and who have a deep mutual—and musical—respect for one another. You’ll hear us connect as colleagues and as friends, but also as something much more rare and treasured: as songwriters.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.

America is very fortunate to have supported many different genres of music: there are composers of every stripe scattered throughout all 50 states. However, there is one style of music that has been long taken for granted and that is Exotica. The genre became popular during the American mid-century and is often associated with the Tiki bar scene and maybe Pee Wee’s Playhouse; it consists of melodies that imbue a certain mysterious quality coupled with percussion and, sometimes, even animal noises and other common jungle sounds.

One of the main historical figures in the Exotica movement was Eden Ahbez, a songwriter and recording artist who made a name for himself in California during the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. He was a prototypical hippie responsible for penning Nat “King” Cole’s big hit, “Nature Boy,” and in 1960 Ahbez released his masterpiece, Eden’s Island, the vinyl copy of which has now become very collectible.

Enter producers Brian Chidester and Johan Hjalmarsson and the Swedish musical group Ìxtahuele who resurrected unreleased and unrecorded manuscripts of Ahbez’s by creating a new album of his work titled, Dharmaland. On this program we welcome co-producer Johan, who also plays drums in the group, and another of the band’s talented musicians, Mattias Uneback. They both join me from Sweden.

So, listen to our conversation, but then enjoy the exquisite album that they released which really is capable of transporting you to a strange and mystical natural world accompanied by wistful melodies and dreamlike ambience. You don’t need any apps or screens to enter this alternate dimension, all you need to do is use something that you might have forgotten about: your imagination.

Evan Toth is a songwriter, professional musician, educator, radio host, avid record collector, and hi-fi aficionado. Toth hosts and produces The Evan Toth Show and TVD Radar on WFDU, 89.1 FM. Follow him at the usual social media places and visit his website.