The Vinyl District's Radar with Evan Toth Evan Toth

If you’re like most people, at 20 years old, you’re still figuring out who you are and what you want to do with your life. And there’s nothing wrong with that, especially in today’s day and age, young people now have the luxury of waiting just a little bit longer before they make up their mind to point their lives in a specific direction. However, like compounding interest in an investment, the longer you spend - and the earlier you get started in a particular thing - the sooner you become an expert and reap the compounding interest and dividends of your patience and time.

Joey Alexander may only be 20 years old this year, but he’s already got a dozen years of experience and success in the jazz world to lean upon. Seen as a wunderkind, Joey was born with an innate understanding - technically and emotionally - of jazz. After finding success in Europe, he gained further popularity and was showcased for a wider audience by Wynton Marsalis. Since then, he’s played for presidents, been featured on 60 Minutes, and is also the first Indonesian artist to have an album make the Billboard 200 chart.

While his young age may have been part of the package in selling his talents, at 20 years old, Alexander proves that - as he grows older - he’s got much more to say to his audience through the language of jazz. His latest album is titled, Continuance (Mack Avenue) and aside from showcasing his piano chops, it also highlights a fabulous composer in the making.

Much of the time, when I approach a guest on Radar, I’m confident that I can find some unique topics to discuss. However, with Joey, I was sure he’d been asked everything I had in mind. We discussed his long/short career, his new album, what’s coming next, and I might even dig up a topic or two that he hasn’t been interviewed about yet. Joey Alexander has accomplished so much at a very young age; the most impressive takeaway of my time with him was excitement over what the next decade might bring.

Going somewhere else is sometimes the only thing you can do to really find your true voice. And I don’t mean taking a vacation or a daytrip. Moving from one state - or, coast - to another is a very adventurous move, but emigrating to another country to live is truly beyond what most of us might even consider doing. Can you imagine leaving your family and friends, everything you know in search of a new life? Looking for new employment opportunities? And don’t forget that eternal search for love.

Chiara D’Anzieri left her hometown of Turin, Italy and ended up in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia. Of course the relocation had to do with music, but we all know what would instigate such a bold move: love certainly played a part. When she was younger, Chiara spent time in her Italian homeland studying cello in conservatories. However, she was ready to create some rock and roll and her Italian heritage coupled with her classical background gave her a unique lens with which to make this a reality. All she needed now was a new stage name, a professional moniker: make that Santa Chiara: named after her favorite monastery in Naples, Italy.

And so she joins me on this episode to discuss her life and her latest record called, of course, Imported. The new album explores the immigration process from her point of view, but there’s more here, too. There’s hope and light connected with the anxiety and excitement of finding one’s way in a new country, not only is Santa Chiara finding her way around, learning how to fit in and stand out, but she’s making great art out of it, too. As the saying goes, “When in Rome.” Or, in Chiara’s case, it’s “when in Philly.” For now, at least. 

There’s a unique quality that actors and actresses bring to songwriting and musicianship. Oftentimes, they create works that lean heavily on the idea that the singer - or narrator - is a character. Of course, all musicians and songwriters do this to some extent, but there’s another level of commitment when it’s done by a musician who also happens to be an actor.

Rebecca Pigeon is well-known in both worlds, as an actress and as a musician and songwriter. This year she’s released her 11th full-length album titled, Songs of LA which explores the City of Angles’ by simultaneously studying its daytime sunshine alongside the town’s hauntingly dark nights. Pidgeon’s long-time writing partner - David Batteau - worked on many of these songs with Rebecca before pandemic sidelined the project. Here, Rebecca fuses her acting chops with her songwriting and performing prowess.

Join Rebecca and I on this episode as she takes me on a journey through some of tinseltown’s creepiest back-alleys as we discuss her new album, her multifaceted career and how everything that glitters in La La Land isn’t always gold. 

It’s no secret that marriage is hard work. It requires heavy lifting by both partners to keep the boat afloat. It’s labor, but of course, it’s a labor of love; that’s what it’s all about. However, if you take the marriage and relationship deal and split it with a job in the entertainment business for both parties involved, well, now you’ve really got a challenging situation with which to build a successful marriage.

Larry Campell and his wife Teresa Williams are no strangers to the road with plenty of frequent flier miles between them. Teresa has a long-time career as an actress, vocalist and musician which led her to meeting Larry, a long-time session musician who’s resume includes a seven-year stint in Bob Dylan’s Never Ending Tour and being the musical director at Levon Helm’s popular Midnight Rambles in Woodstock, NY. Larry and Teresa were also both key parts of Levon Helm’s fantastic final albums, Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt. Married in 1988, they’ve become a musical powerhouse over the years, so much so that their relationship and musical work was evidenced in a 10 part docuseries which can be found at some of your favorite streaming outlets.

Separately and together,  they’ve both worked with many high-profile artists, but there’s always something special in store when they work with each other. Larry and Teresa have just released their fourth album as a duo, it’s titled All This Time and features music and concepts that were born out of the pandemic era and Larry’s personal battle with Covid. On this episode, I’m lucky to have both Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams join me to discuss the new record, highlights from their storied careers, and - of course - how two musicians make the music of marriage. 

Maybe I’m a little guilty of nostalgia on this one, but aren’t we all from time-to-time? When I look into the past with my rose-colored glasses on, they take me to that time of life when most people find themselves experiencing glowy memories of the past: high school. In my case, it was high school in the early to mid 1990s. As is true of every generation, there were certain songs that were inescapable during that time, some music that was simply a part of the cultural wallpaper.

Music that is ingrained to that extent into society’s psyche can face both pros and cons. On one hand, the song is at risk of being overplayed and over consumed and of course, we all know what familiarity breeds. On the other hand, it's extraordinarily rare for a certain music to be considered definitive and infinitely attached to a particular place in time in human history. In 1997, Paula Cole released two iconic songs that had a significant generational impact. "I Don't Want to Wait" became a radio staple and gained immense popularity as the theme song for the popular TV show Dawson's Creek. "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone" became Cole's only top-ten hit in the US, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also earned Cole three Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Paula joins me on this episode to discuss her brand new album Lo, it’s her first batch of originals in a decade and it is a strong work that makes an occasional nod to her sound in the 90s, but showcases Cole as the forward-facing performer that she is. We discuss the new record, and learn about a few recording secrets from the 1990s and how some of those tricks of the trade worked their way into her recent production. We also explore the latest reissue of This Fire which was released last year in celebration of the album’s 25th anniversary and talk about how - in many ways - those songs are as relevant as ever having been discovered by a new generation of listeners because - as you’ll find out - good art may represent a certain generation, but it isn’t anchored to it. That’s the feeling you’ll get digging through the past, present and future of Paula Cole’s catalog.

Often on this program, I interact with artists and creators, who do their best work when they are by themselves. It’s in solitude that a musician often finds the freedom and flexibility to create just what it is they want to develop. However, there is surely something to be said about the chemistry between two people, two artists. When two musicians sit before one another and unite for the good of performing or recording one song, the tension can be palpable. Such a situation can reach Olympic level heights when the musical duel is between two experts in their field.

Lau Noah knew that for her next musical project she wanted to engage in this kind of intimate match-up. And so on her new album A Dos she’s chosen to pursue musical conversation with some of her favorite artists, and what artists they are. Chris Thile, Jacob Collier and many more met with Lau to assist her to communicate with her audience the compositions that she’s worked so hard to create.

Interestingly, as you’ll learn by listening to our conversation, is how Noah was adamant about recording these tracks face-to-face rather than utilizing the remote technology that is so prevalent in today’s music production. So, what you hear when you listen to her new record is that moment, that spark where two people meet and combine their forces into one.

One may be the loneliest number, as they say, but it sure can be helpful when a composer must concentrate on what they’re overall artistic vision is. But, that solitude sometimes eschews the excitement and competition that can be found in a suitable partner. After all, it does take two to tango, doesn’t it?