Author Archives: Evan Toth

It’s not hyperbole to say that musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer Van Dyke Parks is a legendary or mythical creature in pop music folklore. Sure, you know how Brian Wilson recruited him to join his creative process on what was to be The Beach Boys’ penultimate masterpiece, Smile. But there’s so much more to his career: aside from his critically acclaimed solo albums, Parks has historically been involved in a number of notable musical projects, always searching to shed light on music and stories that are astutely sui generis.

During quarantine, Parks orchestrated four songs for Verónica Valerio, a singer, songwriter and harpist born in Veracruz, Mexico. The EP is titled, “Only in America, Solo En America.” While the lyrics are in Spanish, the mood and emotion of the project is evident no matter what language one speaks. Don’t forget to take a moment to study the album’s cover art: it was created by Klaus Voorman, The Beatles’ chum who created the ever-enduring album art for Revolver.

So, let VDP and me keep you company as we engage in a conversation that goes wherever it pleases. We discuss his connection with Valerio’s music and subject matter, calling Klaus Voorman on his cell phone, how this project compares to his work with Brian Wilson and so much more. You’ll find Van Dyke Parks affable, nimble-witted, and urbane; join me as I try to keep up!

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.

There is a subgenre of jazz that remains a bit of a mystery. On one hand, it’s incredibly popular as a sound that you’ve heard throughout film, television, and marketing for many years. On the other, there might not be many records in your collection that represent this style. It is, however, endlessly exciting and features musicians who play at a breathtaking level. If you love jazz, and you’d like to hear something new, get yourself into a genre commonly referred to as Gypsy Jazz, or jazz Manouche.

Popularized—and more, or less invented by—Django Reinhardt on guitar with Stéphane Grappelli on violin at his side, the style came to prominence in France during the early part of the 20th century, through their performances with the Quintette du Hot Club de France, or in American terms, the Hot Club of France. Much of the sound’s mystery comes from the fact that it was born of a nomadic group of people traversing Europe. That multi-cultural influence, however, is what gives jazz Manouche its uniquely full-flavored sound.

Though Reinhardt died in 1953, the style that he popularized has become a permanent part of the landscape and there are several groups and musicians still carrying the torch that they lit. But how has the genre developed nearly a century later? One place to discover—or rediscover—the sound is by hearing the newest release from the Hot Club of Los Angeles, Nova.

On Nova the quintet shares a collection of 15 tracks ranging from classic and contemporary gypsy jazz, bossa nova, French chanson and traditional Roma fare to film soundtrack, jazz standards and originals composed by the group’s members in a few different languages.

To discuss the current state of Gypsy Jazz in sunny California, we are joined today by the group’s drummer, Jim Doyle. He’ll discuss Jackson Browne’s fandom of the group, the band’s decade long, Monday-night residency at The Cinema Bar in Culver City, and explore the lineage of the sound and the HCLA. Gypsy jazz takes on its nomadic heritage through its sound, borrowing and blending unique contributions from different customs and cultures. If you want to hear how 100 years and nearly 6,000 miles have altered the genre, listen to some Django, then switch on the Hot Club of Los Angeles.

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.

How many different sides of you are there? Who are you when you’re alone, and how is that person different from who you are in front of others? We all have different sides to us and the world rarely sees the whole version of ourselves. But music and art can help to peel back the layers and provide a glimpse of the threads that make us who we are.

Stacey Kent has a long musical career under her belt, she is a longtime and critically acclaimed jazz vocalist and a Grammy nominee with a brand new album out now titled, Summer Me, Winter Me which is a compilation of the songs that she enjoys performing on stage, but that haven’t yet made it to an album. It’s that “little bit of everything” that lets us in on the secret of what Stacey enjoys performing for her audiences around the world, but also gives us a sneak peek into who she is through the eclectic blend of music that was chosen for this release.

Of course, like any great artist, she doesn’t do it alone. While many of the selections on the album may be familiar to you, several songs were written by Kent’s saxophonist, arranger, producer, and husband Jim Tomlinson. One of which was co-written with their longtime collaborator and Nobel Prize winner, Kazuo Ishiguro.

Stacey has album sales in excess of two million, Platinum, Double-Gold, and Gold-selling albums that have reached a series of chart-topping positions and over half a billion Spotify streams—and she joins us on Radar to kick off a new year of conversations with style, grace, and plenty of panache. Happy New Year to Stacey…and Happy New Year to you, dear listener…

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 the end of another calendar year at The Vinyl District’s Radar podcast and to all of our listeners—and readers—we wish you the happiest of holidays and a very wonderful new year in 2024. Thank you, also, to all of the fabulous guests who took time out of their busy schedules to join us here for a chat.

Frank Sinatra was born on December 12th, 1915 in Hoboken, NJ and his voice is often heard during this season, so what better time to delve into a newly released box set that highlights some of Frank’s prime cuts for Capitol Records in celebration of his signing to the label 70 years ago. The set is simply titled, Platinum.

Featuring 44-tracks on 4LPs (for the vinyl box, at least) the records are housed in a hardback, large format package including rare photos, an introductory essay and quotes from Sinatra and his arrangers. The man behind the project is Charles Pignone who was curator of the set and who also serves as President of Frank Sinatra Enterprises.

So, we end the year with a toast and a cheer taking a moment out of the hustle and bustle to celebrate the man who had one of the greatest voices any of us has had the fortune to hear: Frank Sinatra. Join Charlie and me as we discuss the process of putting together this beautiful new box set, how he became a part of the Sinatra team, and listen as I try to find out what Sinatra fans might expect in the near future.

So, cheers to everyone and—while you’re enjoying yourself this season—you might want to make sure that Francis Albert’s voice is coming through the speakers wherever you are. I mean, really. When Frank comes on, it’s hard to turn him off. Happy Birthday to the Chairman of the Board.

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 arts have always served as an effective way to tackle difficult feelings. Mental health has become a very hot topic in the last few years for two reasons: the first is that mental health challenges have continued to become destigmatized, and the second is the continued realization that—believe it, or not—someone that you know, most likely several of the people you know, grapple with a mental health challenge of their own.

The arts serve as a conduit through expressing feelings that aren’t so easy to communicate with mere words. Non-profit record label Future Youth Records knows this well and offers young performers a way for them to express their feelings about complicated social issues in musical terms. Ontario’s Tausha Hanna connected with the label and together they have completed two significant projects. On the the first, Tausha was one of the featured performers on Julian Lennon’s, “Saltwater” which supported Lennon’s White Feather Foundation.

Recently, Tausha has completed her second project with the label. This time, shifting the focus away from environmental concerns and toward mental health initiatives. Tausha was connected with Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton and his stalwart musical partner from The Boxmasters, J.D. Andrew. They were both impressed by a song of Tausha’s titled, “As I Ever Was” and invited her to Billy Bob’s studio to produce and record the song together.

What you’ll hear on this episode is Billy Bob Thornton, J.D. Andrew, Tausha and I have a frank discussion regarding the state of mental health support in our current society and examples of ways that the arts serve as a valuable tool in combating the challenges that so many people face. It’s also a refreshing portrait of new and experienced performers joining forces for a common goal.

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.

There was an exciting time during the early 1980s where there was a true fusion of a few different musical styles which led to a hybrid of rock and reggae in a radio-friendly pop-package that was especially popular in the UK. The English Beat and General Public were two bands at the forefront who captured the ears of that generation. Coincidentally, both groups had two band members in common: Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger.

Earlier this year, BMG reissued General Public’s debut album All the Rage and their second studio album Hand to Mouth which feature a few of the group’s hits including “Tenderness” which, at the time, showed up in not one, but two John Huges films, Sixteen Candles and Weird Science—you can’t get much more ’80s than that.

Sadly, Ranking Roger passed away in 2019, but Dave Wakeling continues to tour and perform his catalog of music from both the English Beat and General Public for audiences around the world. He’s also having a high-water mark vinyl year as well, in addition to BMG’s General Public reissues, Rhino reissued an expanded version of the English Beat’s I Just Can’t Stop It for Record Store Day Black Friday last week.

Dave joins me this week to discuss these reissues and to take us on a detailed journey through their intricate production process. He’s got a great memory of the old days and a witty and nuanced perspective on the music he made during those years. You won’t want to miss his description of how John Hughes organized his record collection. It may be a trip down memory lane, but it’s also an exploration of how much of the music that was made all of those years ago has found its way back to the future.

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.

There was an exciting time during the early 1980s where there was a true fusion of a few different musical styles which led to a hybrid of rock and reggae in a radio-friendly pop-package that was especially popular in the UK. The English Beat and General Public were two bands at the forefront who captured the ears of that generation. Coincidentally, both groups had two band members in common: Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger.

Earlier this year, BMG reissued General Public’s debut album All the Rage and their second studio album Hand to Mouth which feature a few of the group’s hits including “Tenderness” which, at the time, showed up in not one, but two John Huges films, Sixteen Candles and Weird Science—you can’t get much more ’80s than that.

Sadly, Ranking Roger passed away in 2019, but Dave Wakeling continues to tour and perform his catalog of music from both the English Beat and General Public for audiences around the world. He’s also having a high-water mark vinyl year as well, in addition to BMG’s General Public reissues, Rhino reissued an expanded version of the English Beat’s I Just Can’t Stop It for Record Store Day Black Friday last week.

Dave joins me this week to discuss these reissues and to take us on a detailed journey through their intricate production process. He’s got a great memory of the old days and a witty and nuanced perspective on the music he made during those years. You won’t want to miss his description of how John Hughes organized his record collection. It may be a trip down memory lane, but it’s also an exploration of how much of the music that was made all of those years ago has found its way back to the future.

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.

We all make boo boos. Usually, however, when the boo boos happen, we more or less move on, apologize if necessary, and try to watch out for similar situations in the future. Sometimes, however, as we’re bobbling that thing that we’re about to break, we manage to tap-dance our way into some sort of a solution; even if it doesn’t look pretty.

I’d been hoping to interview Graham Parker for many years and when the opportunity came up in the past, it just didn’t work out. So, when the chance came up in connection with his latest release, Last Chance to Learn the Twist, I jumped and wanted to make everything run as smoothly as possible. Graham and I had a great, fun chat. Except, as Murphy and his law might have predicted, I messed it up and was unable to use any of the footage that we created together.

Instead of running away with my tail in between my legs, I bravely stood up, raised my hand, and said out loud, “I goofed!” to which Graham and his team kindly responded in the positive: “Don’t worry, mate. We’ll do it again.”

So, enjoy take-two of a double-take of my interview with Graham Parker. He’s as fun of a chat as you might imagine and his wealth of experiences and strong and solid body of work make him a character who anyone would enjoy speaking with. He’s smart, he’s funny, and he’s not above giving a bloke a break when that bloke has made a boo boo. Thanks, Graham.

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.

Can you remember the first time you heard the song “Cars”? At that moment, it must have been obvious that Gary Numan looked at things a little bit differently than you or I do; that he was full of a wisdom and intellect that we mere Earthlings do not possess. The good news is that Gary Numan is still putting his unique insights to music.

Gary’s new album is titled Intruder and it is an exploration of the concept that the Earth is tired of us lowly humans kicking it around and has decided to fight back. At an earlier time, the thesis Gary posits might have garnered a few chortles and eye rolls, but in today’s climate, well, it feels as though we ought to sit down with Gary and hear him out; he might be onto something. Don’t say Gary Numan didn’t warn you.

Gary joins me all the way from England to talk about his newest release, but we don’t stop there. We also talk about how music production has changed since the late seventies, his feelings about the vinyl comeback, and how hard he’s worked to stay true to his musical voice.

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.

There’s something to be said about longevity, especially in an industry as cruel and fickle as music and entertainment. But there are those who have been able to maintain a career through all of the ups, downs, ins and outs; those who have stood the test of time no matter what curveballs have been thrown at them.

Originally hailed by The Village Voice as “the new Dylan,” Steve Forbert now enters what will be his fiftieth year of performing. After a hot breakout with Alive on Arrival it was his 1979 second album, Jackrabbit Slim, which featured his first shot at radio success, “Romeo’s Tune.” His output and touring continued during the early eighties and he even found himself playing the bouquet wielding boyfriend in Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” video. Watch out for Captain Lou, Steve.

Over the years, he’s continually released albums (some 23 studio records) and toured for much of the time. Recent days find him in a simultaneously retrospective and forward-looking mode! Late last year, he released his most recent package of originals, Moving Through America. But this year, he has taken the opportunity to revisit one of his favorite albums, 1988’s Streets of This Town, even remixing and moving some sonic furniture around to fit his idea of how it should to contemporary ears.

So, join me and Steve Forbert as we discuss his lengthy musical journey, his latest record, and what it’s like to look back at his own work as a man with a few more miles on the touring odometer and many more experiences to share with those who have stayed loyal to him over the course of his notable musical journey.

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.

There’s something to be said about longevity, especially in an industry as cruel and fickle as music and entertainment. But there are those who have been able to maintain a career through all of the ups, downs, ins and outs; those who have stood the test of time no matter what curveballs have been thrown at them.

Originally hailed by The Village Voice as “the new Dylan,” Steve Forbert now enters what will be his fiftieth year of performing. After a hot breakout with Alive on Arrival it was his 1979 second album, Jackrabbit Slim, which featured his first shot at radio success, “Romeo’s Tune.” His output and touring continued during the early eighties and he even found himself playing the bouquet wielding boyfriend in Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” video. Watch out for Captain Lou, Steve.

Over the years, he’s continually released albums (some 23 studio records) and toured for much of the time. Recent days find him in a simultaneously retrospective and forward-looking mode! Late last year, he released his most recent package of originals, Moving Through America. But this year, he has taken the opportunity to revisit one of his favorite albums, 1988’s Streets of This Town, even remixing and moving some sonic furniture around to fit his idea of how it should to contemporary ears.

So, join me and Steve Forbert as we discuss his lengthy musical journey, his latest record, and what it’s like to look back at his own work as a man with a few more miles on the touring odometer and many more experiences to share with those who have stayed loyal to him over the course of his notable musical journey.

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: EILON PAZ | On this program, we usually focus on folks who create the music that we love listening to, but what about paying homage to those who are in charge of sharing the music with us? We don’t all have a friend who can hip us to the latest and greatest, so we all must subscribe to a trusted voice we can rely on that is equipped with careful curation skills and discriminating taste.

Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy is certainly one of those people for me. Not only do I learn about plenty of great music on her weekly online program Balearic Breakfast, but I also regularly take a deep dive into her world-renowned podcast and live series, Classic Album Sundays which features a scholarly dive into your favorite albums showcasing someone who worked closely on it and brings valuable first-hand information to the conversation. Of course, when she’s not doing those two things, she can be found DJing different major events all across the globe.

She’s a woman in constant motion which is why I had to travel all the way to the Netherlands to catch her for this program which makes this our first “on location” episode of Radar. Colleen and I were both attending the Haarlem Vinyl Festival and they were kind enough to create a fabulous podcast area for us to conduct our interview in the main lobby of the Haarlem PHIL. For that reason, you’ll hear plenty of ambiance as folks ambled by TO watch us chat; some even snapped a few pictures! So, relax and enjoy a quick-fire conversation with a true musical tastemaker.

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.

We grapple a lot with genre here on Radar, and this week’s episode is no different.

Genre is a funny thing when it’s applied to nearly any field. On one hand, there’s nothing wrong with an artist being aligned with—or, being seen as representative of a certain genre—even if it’s a point of frustration for the artist. On the other hand, music listeners should allow artists the latitude to adjust their compass to explore other styles of music without untoward rebuke, but sometimes it’s not easy to persuade an audience to follow an artist’s whims and dalliances. It is what it is.

While much of Danny Lee Blackwell’s output can be tidily summarized as living in the psychedelic world, there’s a lot more to him, and to his numerous musical projects. Today, we’re here to talk about Danny’s group Night Beats and his new album, Rajan (Suicide Squeeze / Fuzz Club), but he’s got other irons in the fire, as well. This year, Danny also released an album with another project he’s working with, the name of that group is Abraxas and the album was titled, Monte Carlo. Danny’s involved in many other musical productions as well.

On Rajan, Danny explores garage rock, soul, and R&B. Of course, one can also find some funk, jazz, and elements of hip-hop in his work as well. We discuss all of that, plus more—the familial ties that are connected to this album and life on the road. No matter what genre Danny is exploring, he’s got one simple rule for determining if what he’s created makes it to the final cut: whatever it is, it’s got to give him goosebumps. Hopefully, you get the same feeling listening to our chat.

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 real luxury to sit for a while and chat with musicians who have been a part of your life for – well – all of your life. To actually speak with the people who made the sounds that have served as your life’s soundtrack, to ask those things you’ve always wondered about. Who gets to do that? For better, or worse, I’m one of the lucky son of a guns who is allowed to engage directly with many musicians whose work has impacted my life in one way or another for many years. I’m sure you all have some Police records in your collections; what would you ask those fellas if you had a moment of their time?

I asked Stewart Copeland about his newest musical endeavor, it’s called Police Deranged for Orchestra and it features a fresh take on many of the Police classics that you know and love, but they are infused with a new and exciting energy by this musically restless, 7 time Grammy award winning rock star and drumming great. He’s taking the show on the road and wants this new album to serve as a representation of what you might expect in the audience. He’s also completed a new coffee table book titled, Stewart Copeland’s Police Diaries which looks at the lean early years of the Police where Stewart was their drummer, but also their manager.

So, what would you ask Stewart Copeland if you had the chance to chat with him? Well, you’d probably ask questions that are different from mine, but that’s only because his work and music has impacted so many different people in so many different ways that we’d each have our own unique list of comments and questions to bring to him. The best part of speaking with Stewart, however, is listening to him respond! If you’ve ever caught a moment of his interviews, he is funny, candid, intellectual, and straightforward. So, pull up a drum throne; let’s savor the opportunity to speak with one of the greats!

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.

We all know that crime doesn’t pay, but that doesn’t stop the world’s fascination with it. What is it about the seedy underbelly of our social structures that makes it such an intriguing topic? And there are no shortage of types of criminal activities to explore: white-collar crime, violent crimes, crimes of passion, cyber crime, and even crimes of the heart. How can we think about these things without glorifying them? It’s also a study of our individual morals: what you think is a crime, might be fine with me.

Harper Simon has chosen to explore these topics in a brand-new, wide-ranging, multimedia project titled, Meditations on Crime. What began as a music project eventually morphed into a book containing essays, artwork, a short film, and an album. It’s a thought provoking thesis that examines the unfortunately, ever-present entity of crime in our lives.

While we’ve all had criminal activities touch us in different ways, it’s those uncomfortable experiences that might bring us together in an exploration of crime—and in a more complicated way—it invites us to ask the question of what do we do about it?

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.