The Sharp Notes with Evan Toth

Artists need to be inspired to create their best works, and it’s not always easy to have the wherewithal to clearly see the inspiration around us. In fact, for a musician, the insight to this inspiration is often more important than musical or production ability. Listeners love sounds that touch them on an emotional level, but how do you search out that spark? How does the musician find the muse?...

One of my old film professors used to say that one had never really seen a film unless they had watched it at least once with the sound off. Audio - be it music, or sound - adds so much detail to a moving picture that sometimes the viewer misses a few visual nuances because they’re also busy listening. While my professor’s approach might be an extreme way to evaluate a movie,  there’s no denying t...

Musical genre can be a very limiting place; it can put fences around the aspirations and creations of musicians, but it can also cause the listener to stay in their own little world without branching out to explore things that they might also enjoy. It takes a strong group of musicians to move beyond those confines and a loyal and dedicated horde of fans and followers who are ready, willing and ab...

Life is full of twists and turns; unexpected chapters. Sometimes, we recall certain times and experiences and they bear resemblance to vivid dreams, so much so, we might even ask ourselves, did that really happen? We evolve, we move on, but - no matter where we go - we carry those adventures with us, even if we’re not always aware of the influences. The life of May Pang took an unexpected detour i...

Longevity in the entertainment business is an attribute worth celebrating. While the industry is often focused on brand-new, younger artists, it’s the performers who have been out there for decades that are really the cornerstone of the touring industry. Of course, it’s also helpful if the music that they’ve created has become popular standards. Gene Cornish - along with Felix Cavaliere, Eddie Bri...

The arrival of each season brings with it some balance. When one element is taken away, another quality takes its place. It’s the old adage of one door closing and another one opening. No matter how hard we want the long, warm days of sunny summer to last forever, the fall brings its own snug serenity (depending on where you live on planet Earth, of course).  Alexz Johnson is a Canadian singer-son...

To surrender does not always mean to give up. Sometimes, it takes an incredibly strong person to recognize that the flow of life is trying to tell them something. Often, one’s real power can be found by letting go and allowing the natural direction of things to take their course. Jann Klose’s new album, titled Surrender ( Honey Rose Records ), is an exploration of many things, but notably that con...

It’s a major concept for a short podcast, but when was the last time you thought about your place - not only in the universe - but within the multiverse? “What is a multiverse,” you may ask. We can thank the Ancient Greek Atomists - namely Leucippus and Democritus - for presenting us with the concept of multiple worlds or universes that construct everything in existence: space, time, matter, infor...

Music can have several purposes. Often, its job is to get the body moving, dancing, or working out. The right music at a suitable tempo has a drastic effect on one’s ability to work, exercise, or hone in on the task at hand. Sometimes, however, the goal is to relax, slow down, lower the heart rate, and slowly slip into the moment. Emiliano Melis is a composer and visual artist originally from Turi...

Music releases can be fleeting. Artists work on projects with great skill and care. They might get the right players, use the best studios, and tirelessly craft their compositions. But when the project is released, sometimes it's lost in the shuffle. Obviously, such an event is disappointing, but every so often, a deserving project gets a second chance.  Kendra Morris is a soul singer-songwri...

Thank you for reading or watching or listening to our 100th episode of Radar! At the risk of sounding like an awards acceptee while the band begins to signal my necessary move from the stage, I’d like to thank all of the wonderful guests who have given generously of their time to share their insights about projects that they are involved in. Thank you as well to the publicists behind the scenes wh...

Think about the “what if” scenarios in your life. Not really regrets. Not things you wished had gone differently, but situations in which - because of circumstances beyond your control - you’ll never truly know what could have been or where the road might have led. However, every so often, we get lucky. We get the opportunity to remove the detour from the pathway and we are offered a second chance...

Even minimalists have a few knick-knacks tucked away, small objects that aren’t particularly useful, but which remind us of a warm memory, time, or place. When purging or decluttering, a lazy gaze at this brac-a-brac makes us wonder if we’re being too hasty considering parting with the item. But before we harshly “Marie Kondo” these objects, it’s essential that we check to see if they “spark joy”,...

There is an intrinsic grandeur to the Great American Songbook that we can all appreciate. When the first few bars of those classics begin they can boost our spirit, provide us with a moment of quiet contemplation, or even make us a little bit misty. For those reasons, the compositions are timeless. However, they do indeed emanate from a specific time and place, one that is far away from the one in...

Modern music listeners enjoy creating personalized playlists containing their preferred musicians and genres, but there’s one thing lacking: the expertly guiding hand of a radio station’s program director - or, even better - a tasteful DJ behind the microphone who loves to share favorite tunes, but also introduces listeners to new music that is worthy of addition to your personal faves. But, curre...

Myths are funny things, especially in the 21st century where we find ourselves constantly reevaluating standards that were accepted as gospel only a few years ago. And who knows? It’s feasible to posit that society’s reevaluations will be reevaluated somewhere else down the long road of time. Telling the story of early rock and roll is an interesting exercise at this point in history as many of th...

Frank LoCrasto joins us on this episode to discuss the latest release from his Kolombo project. The new album is titled, Gung Ho and features Frank’s signature blend of jazz and exotica. You’ll hear us discuss vintage synths, the beauty of analog and how Frank pieced this album together during a global pandemic. 

In the 1980s, the mall was the place to be and there is a reason why modern society is nostalgic for that insulated wonderland of days gone by. Before the internet and our endless stream of information, there was less to process, and fewer things to worry about. Blissfully ignorant innocence was on full display amid indoor atriums, food courts, and all the shopping one could hope for. Most signifi...

It’s the time of the year when holiday music sounds as fresh as the stacks of Christmas trees being sold at your local firehouse. With some melancholy, however, we know that in another month or so we’ll be dragging those trees down the driveway and onto the curb while searching for music without so much comfort and joy to keep us busy until the birds of spring begin to chirp. But, we’re not there...

Change isn’t easy for anyone; it’s a risk. When something works, even if it doesn’t work perfectly, the simplest approach is to stay the course, to avoid rocking the boat. However, for an artist, change is often necessary, but - again - doing so can be a frightening prospect both for the artist and for their audience.  Marlon Rabenreither has fronted the group Gold Star for over a decade now. Whil...

The destination is not always the most important place, sometimes it’s the journey that is most impactful. A life’s odyssey really makes us who we are: the roads we’ve traveled, the mistakes we’ve made, and the lessons that we have learned along the way shape and mold us, these passages give us more tools and experiences to simply be better people, or at least better at whatever it is we do.  Ron...

Meet one of the most celebrated session guitarists of all time - a man who was also once a full member of both Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers: Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. Goodness knows that the previous sentence gives he and I plenty to talk about, but we’re here to discuss the fact that Jeff has released his first solo album after being in the music industry for over half a century; the album is ti...

The Afrobeat sound has become a very popular genre in the last few years. Many bands - from all over the world - have embraced this exciting, funky sound that combines elements of West African music and couples it with American funk, jazz, and soul. While these recent creators make some wonderfully exciting music, the Super Yamba Band has a secret weapon that the others don’t have and his name is...

The Hammond organ - specifically the Hammond B-3, or C-3 - has a long musical history. But it’s not for everyone; it’s a heavy machine that often finds itself in need of some regular repair and constant maintenance. However - when coupled with a Leslie speaker - the sound of a Hammond organ is difficult to match; its sonorous quality and authoritative heft make it unmistakable in many of what are...

You don’t have to be a musician to make great music. Sounds like a conundrum, right? Well, throughout history, there have been a number of producers behind the control room glass who have coordinated and instructed musicians to produce the music they hear in their heads; the musicians themselves become the producer’s instruments.  Meet Robert Waite. He’s not a musician, but he does love music and...