The Sharp Notes with Evan Toth – Details, episodes & analysis

It’s easy to overlook, but for some, music isn’t just a passion—it’s a livelihood. While many might juggle music as a side gig or serious hobby, others dive headfirst into a full-fledged career as a musician. As with any pursuit intertwined with money, the path ahead is rarely smooth. Yet, artists like Brian Ray not only navigate this complex terrain but they truly thrive there.

We could delve into his collaborations with Smokey Robinson, retrace the dedication he poured into his years with Etta James, or explore his legendary - and current - stint as Paul McCartney’s guitarist. Today, however, we focus on his latest solo endeavor, My Town, released under Little Stevie Van Zandt's Wicked Cool Records label.

Brian has generously shared his musical prowess with others, but a listen to My Town reveals that he still has plenty of expertise left over for himself. Brian and I chatted about the creation of this album, the invaluable lessons he's gleaned from working with industry icons, and some of the realities of life on the road.

It’s not exactly a comeback. Instead, the dB’s are reconnecting with their loyal audience, who have always valued their brief but impactful body of work. The New York City band (by way of North Carolina), crafted a distinctive sound by blending edgy late-'70s NYC new wave and punk with the Southern indie-rock essence of Big Star. This fusion produced a unique mix of jagged rock and roll, complemented by thoughtful lyrics and intricate songcraft.

During their peak, the dB’s released just two albums with their original lineup—Chris Stamey, Peter Holsapple, Will Rigby, and Gene Holder. Both Stands for Decibels and its quick successor Repercussion came out in 1981. Although the band’s original run was brief, they released a well-received reunion album in 2012. Meanwhile, each member has continued to pursue music outside of the dB’s.

This year, the dB’s have partnered with Propeller Sound Recordings to reconnect with long-time fans and attract new ones. Notably, their first two albums were initially available in the U.S. only as imports. While the albums have been reissued in various formats over the years, this is the first time they will be released on vinyl in America. Both records have been remastered and are available in different color variants.

In this episode, band members Peter Holsapple and Will Rigby join me to discuss their upcoming live performances with the original lineup and their excitement about introducing and reintroducing their music to fans who cherish the sound they created that has captivated so many “in the know” music lovers over the years and how these fresh releases might find new ears, too.

Corey Feldman is an icon: he represents a certain time and place for a generation of moviegoers who existed just prior to the internet’s big bang, before wi-fi conquered civilization. In the 1980s, one didn’t begin watching a film without assuming Feldman might pop up somewhere; he appeared in an astounding batch of pop culture blockbusters; many of which still roundly resonate today: Gremlins (1984), The Goonies (1985), Stand By Me (1986), The Lost Boys (1987), and many more. Feldman - with his entertainment pal, Corey Haim - was also one half of the eighties showbiz power-duo known as “The Two Coreys” appearing in nine films together, including a popular reality television series.

While Corey has experienced the entertainment industry’s pinnacles, he’s also glimpsed its dark side. But through it all, Feldman has maintained a stiff upper lip and a positive outlook while putting his creative energies into a musical career which he kicked off in the early 1990s. Since then, he’s released albums such as Love Left, Former Child Actor, Angelic 2 the Core, and now a sprawling box set (Love Left 2.1) containing a remastered version of his first Love Left album, rarities and also a brand-new follow up to that album titled, Love Left 2. Feldman and I explore his wide-ranging musical thumbprint, including the production influences and professional discipline he learned during his friendship with Michael Jackson.

We speak with Corey about his newest music and examine how it relates to his past, yet serves to presage the future. For, as you’ll learn, there are few people who understand the transition from the golden age of cinema to the entertainment machine that exists today as intimately as Corey does. Fortunately, he’s happy to share some war stories and explore what he believes is the future of the entertainment industry, but he also warns about the vampires that still lurk around Hollywood after midnight; they might not have fangs, but they sure are bloodsuckers.

We begin the new year by trying something a little different. This week, we focus our radar’s attention on food. And we talk about it with the “highest paid professional restaurant server on the planet.” Meet Eric Valdivieso, he’s a longtime food service industry insider who has a new book out called, “The Valdivieso Method” which explores the idea of applying the tools he learned in the service industry to other service oriented businesses.

You’ll hear Eric’s story of how he went through the restaurant ranks and learned his craft so well that he now mostly coaches servers and managers in the hospitality industry. 

But, it’s more than just food that Eric and I discuss; we explore how you can become your best self, how some of these skills can be used in any business that thrives on relationships, and - really - what business doesn’t? Of course, I don’t let Eric off the hook without giving us some great restaurant recommendations. 

Above all, though, Eric’s program and experiences are mostly centered around taking care of others and enjoying the glow that comes from making someone feel special and cared for. It’s about not missing the many opportunities we’re all presented with each day to elevate someone else's experience; how caring for others can become a habit. And nowadays, that’s a skill we could all use a little bit more of.

Sometimes, it’s the smallest instruments that make the biggest impact. If you’re of a certain age, you can remember tuning into this new thing called YouTube to watch a young man absolutely shred on a version of the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. What made this musician stand out, however, was that he did it on ukulele. 

Over the last two decades, Jake Shimabukuro has not only continued to become the preeminent ukelele player on Earth, but he’s also branched out to bring the instrument places it has never gone before. Most recently, this was evidenced on his newest album, Jake and Friends which features an extraordinarily impressive roster of friends that Jake has picked up along the way: Kenny Loggins, Bette Midler, Jack Johnson, MIchael McDonald, JImmy Buffett and Amy Grant & Vince Gill and many more.

Join Jake and I as we discuss how that little instrument can make a huge sound, especially when it is accompanied with the cast of luminaries that he’s assembled for this album. How could you resist making an album like this when you’ve got friends like that?

Any good collection has a great number of different niches and subcategories: music and record collecting is no different. Some of us focus on rare soundtracks or hard-to-find instrumental music from Europe and the US that was released in the 1960s and 70s. One could scour record stores for years and spend a great deal of money trying to chase down these revered sounds, or you could just pick up some releases by Frank Maston and be done with it. 

Frank Maston - who goes just by Maston - is an American musician, composer and producer who pays homage to those sounds, but through his own lens. In fact, Maston has chosen to live abroad in search of authenticity and finding musicians to work with who share his own visions. What’s most interesting is that, while Maston is a musician and composer, he appears to be most at home producing and arranging his projects much the way that record producers like David Axelrod or Jack Nitzsche did. While Matson creates the pieces of the puzzle, his true art comes to light in putting it all together. 

Recently, Maston teamed up with the Swiss sextet, L'éclair to produce an album titled, Souvenir which has all of the deep, funky, melodic grooves of those rare records we crazy collectors are always chasing. If you’re listening to us at The Vinyl District, you’ll hear our conversation, but if you’re joining us on the radio at WFDU, 89.1 FM, you’ll be treated to the music taken directly from vinyl. On this episode, Maston joins me from his apartment in Paris, France to discuss the makings of the new album, leaving his home to set out in search of his musical destiny, and how he sets the stage to bring his musical concepts to life.

Vinyl gets plenty of love in the 21st century even though streaming offers plenty of convenience and stability, while the venerable CD quietly sits waiting for someone to rediscover it. But what’s left for the cassette? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Iain Taylor who joins us all the way from Birmingham City University in the UK. Taylor is a Lecturer in Music Industries, and a researcher within the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research. As an educator, Iain teaches primarily on the Music Industries degree, leading modules which explore the cultural and emotive value of music, and how this translates into the business models and intellectual property rights of the music industries.

Earlier this year, Dr. Taylor wrote an article at The Conversation website titled, “Audio cassettes: Despite Being ‘A Bit Rubbish’, Sales Have Doubled During the Pandemic – Here’s Why”. In that article, he explores the origins of the cassette and even the fact that the medium was more - or less - disowned by its creator. However, for all of their awkwardness and their inferior sound quality, cassettes still hold a place in the hearts of those who collect physical media, if only as a way for human beings to connect with something tangible, something real.

So, join Dr. Taylor and I as we explore the cassette from points of view nostalgic, economic and humanistic. Cassettes may bring back some warm memories of days gone by, but no one looks forward to respooling a tape that had been eaten by a player with a number 2 pencil.

As you know, this program typically finds me exploring the work of others, but for this episode, I hope you’ll allow me to turn the attention over to myself. The last few years have found me compiling a special project: it’s my new album, it’s called “The Show” and there is an interesting story attached to it that I think you’ll enjoy hearing.  

Like many folks growing up in the 80s and 90s, I became a big fan of Billy Joel. During Billy’s most successful years, his band consisted of a stable lineup of musicians; it was easy to recognize the skill and personality that they brought to his music. Liberty DeVitto had a fun, yet thundering presence on drums that always balanced out Billy’s more theatrical and balladic impulses. Richie Cannata brought blistering and irreplaceable saxophone parts to Billy’s work; you can probably hum along to all of his solos and arrangements. Russell Javors was always there, steadfastly holding down the rhythm guitar section. 

When I discovered that Liberty, Richie and Russell were still playing together as The Lords of 52nd St. and that they were living in the same tri-state area that I was, I reached out to see if they’d be interested in recording an album of my originals with me. Luckily for me, they were. Unfortunately, Billy’s stalwart bassist, Doug Stegmeyer - known as the Sergeant of the Billy Joel Band - passed away in 1995, but for this project, his role was filled by the extremely talented Malcom Gold, who currently plays bass with the Lords. Also featured on the record is my beautiful wife, Laura Toth, who recorded a very special duet with me and whose voice - by the way - introduces each episode of this program.

So, we set to work recording in Richie’s Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, Long Island. After we completed the rough tracks, the pandemic bared down and stopped us all in our collective tracks.

However, we persevered. The album was completed and mixed by John Arbuckle and mastered by Grammy-award winning Michael Graves. I was even fortunate enough to have the cover art created by the very talented Jess Rotter. On this program, I’ll be joined by Liberty, Richie - and my wife - as they share their own insights into this project and also shed light on the preparation and process that goes into any recording session.

So, I hope you’ll excuse this look into the mirror, but as much as this is about me, it’s also about the people who I was fortunate enough to have helping; as we all know, no one completes something like this in a vacuum. To that, I say a hearty “thank you” to all of those who were involved in the creation of the album. 

With that being said, I wish to welcome you to, “The Show”.

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 rockstars need to charge their devices.