Inside MusiCast

Tom Saviano is a multi-talented musician, songwriter, arranger and producer who has enjoyed a long, distinguished career as part of the L.A. music scene. Hailing from Chicago, Tom’s father was a gifted trombone player who started him on woodwinds at a very young age and groomed him specifically to be a great studio musician. His early session work as an arranger and musician includes credits for diverse acts such as Melissa Manchester, Peter Criss, Paul Anka, Shirley Bassey, Leo Sayer, Ringo Starr, Brenda Russell and many others. In 1980, Saviano stepped to the forefront as an artist, creating the first of two fantastic albums of sophisticated R&B with his band HEAT. Those releases featured musicians such as David Foster, Steve Porcaro, Harvey Mason, Lenny Castro, Chuck Findley, Jerry Hey and many more. Saviano has also released two smooth jazz solo albums and has enjoyed writing and producing projects for up and coming artists. His resume includes decades of credits, literally hundreds of sessions and occasional tours with collaborators such as Bill Champlin, Earth Wind & Fire, Ziggy Marley, Chicago, Max Weinberg, Maroon 5, Muse and countless others. Inside Musicast is pleased to welcome Tom Saviano.

Joe Sample is all that a keyboardist should be. Growing up with a musical influence of Creole, Jazz, R&B, Gospel and Soul, it was inevitable that his musical style would be a creative concoction of this musical diversity. He had made his mark in jazz and contemporary jazz with his band The Crusaders until his solo career took off. His keyboard abilities can take him virtually down any musical road, which is the mark of a great artist, but at the same time he frowns on the labeling of musical genres. He intentionally has erased any genre categories by blending his love of all music - from classical to Creole. To Joe, good music is good music. For decades, Sample has been a first-call session player in the LA scene and has played with the best of the best. From Steely Dan to the Crusaders, Sample has left his musical stamp on hundreds of influential projects. His discography is massive and discussion of it alone would take up an entire Inside MusiCast episode. At the young age of seventy-four, Joe Sample is still creating great music and performing live gigs. Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome a true musical icon, Joe Sample.

On this episode of Inside MusiCast, we welcome back Toto founding member David Paich, as we break down the band’s classic album, Toto IV – track-by-track. Toto IV was a pinnacle album in the band’s history. Not only did it garner critical acclaim, a collection of Grammy Awards, and made Toto a household name, but its success came at a critical time, as their previous two albums saw shrinking sales and only one minor hit single. Toto IV not only catapulted the band to a realm of giant success, with hit singles like “Rosanna”, “Make Believe”, “I Won’t Hold You Back” and “Africa”, but it was a breakthrough for the band in terms of their overall sound, from new synth technology, to the incorporation of incredible horn arrangements, to the implementation of full orchestration – not to mention the involvement of some the best recording and mastering engineers and guest musicians. Breaking this masterpiece down track-by-track, Inside MusiCast welcomes David Paich.

Although the name Phil Gould is associated primarily with Level 42, his career as a musician goes much deeper. He started out playing in bands, along with his brother, while living on the Isle of Wight when he was a teen. Having studied percussion at the Royal Academy of Music, he later found his way onto the charts with the band M and their worldwide hit ‘Pop Muzik’, as well as a stint with the band Roxy Music. He departed Level 42 in 1987 and took a lengthy hiatus from music in the mid 90’s and 2000’s. He finally returned in 2009 to deliver his solo debut titled “Watertight”, a collection of eleven songs and features ex-Level 42 band mate Mike Lindup and Berenice Scott on lead vocals. And there’s more on the way, as Phil is working on even more new music that could be released later this year. Inside MusiCast welcomes Phil Gould.

When Marilyn Scott performed her first gig at the age of 15, little did she know that along the road of her career she’d be collaborating with some of the great jazz powerhouses. But it wasn’t until years later in the Bay Area when Tower of Power’s Emilio Castillo noticed her rich, sultry voice and decided to hire her to do backing vocals for the group. She never looked back. Since then, and several solo albums later, she is still in demand as a writer who has worked with the best - Spyro Gyra, The Yellowjackets, George Duke, Bob James, Jimmy Haslip and Russell Ferrante. Her most recent release, 2008s “Every Time We Say Goodbye”, is a testament to her love of classic jazz. Recorded in New York City, the project has an intimate flair recorded with top NY jazzers. Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome a perennial LA talent, Marilyn Scott.

Tom Snow has made an indelible impact as one of the most successful composers in modern popular music. He is a Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe and Tony nominated writer whose music has been recorded by diverse artists such as Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Sergio Mendes, Bonnie Raitt, Peabo Bryson and many, many more. In addition to three albums he recorded as an artist, Tom Snow has mainly concentrated on his collaborations with many of the most respected songwriters and artists throughout the past several decades and his track record clearly speaks for itself. But before most of his songs could become hits, Tom had worked with extremely talented session singers in order to achieve the best quality demos to circulate. His latest project is one that is very near and dear to his heart. On the recently released, limited edition CD titled “Original Demos”, Tom has assembled twelve tracks from his archives featuring his recordings with the extraordinary session vocalist, the late, great Warren Wiebe.  Inside Musicast is pleased to welcome Tom Snow.