The Talk Music Podcast

Hi everybody, I’m thrilled to do a deep dive with this week’s guest—Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter extraordinaire, film composer, author, and actor IAN THOMAS.Ian’s music has become part of the foundation of the Canadian musical landscape, a legacy recognized with a SOCAN National Achievement Award for Songwriting. He first made waves with his breakout hit “Painted Ladies,” in Canada and the US which then launched a string of chart-topping singles throughout the 1970s and 80s. His success continued with his acclaimed band, The Boomers, which featured Peter Cardinali on Bass, Rick Gratton on Drums and Bill Dillon on Guitars. Releasing 4 albums in total the Boomers via early Major success in Germany, gained a significant following in Europe.Whether performed by Ian himself or covered by renowned artists such as Santana, Chicago, Manfred Mann, America, Bon Jovi, and Bette Midler, his songs—“Pilot,” “Hold On,” “Right Before Your Eyes,” “Coming Home,” “You Gotta Know,” and “Come the Sun,” among others—continue to receive heavy rotation on radio stations across Canada and around the world.In addition to his solo career, Ian has been a core member of the beloved Canadian ensemble Lunch at Allen’s, alongside Marc Jordan, Cindy Church, and Murray McLauchlan, for over 25 years. He is also the author of two books: Bequest (2006), a Canadian bestseller, and The Lost Chord (2008), both published by Manor House Publishing.Most recently, Ian released a new album titled Roll with it and he completed a SOLD OUT theatre tour across Canada. On a personal level - one of my fave albums in my collection is his orchestral Life of Song album recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. It contains absolutely ingenious arrangements of his hit songs. I absolutely loved chatting about Ian’s entire illustrious career and about what Ian listens to for enjoyment himself. Our chat took place in the cozy confines of his beautiful home studio. There were laughs aplenty, and our discussion began with me accidentally knocking my full coffee cup off the table, narrowly missing spilling it all onto some of his valuable recording gear lol.Enjoy! 

Hi everyone!I’m really thrilled to announce that my guest this week is Gavin Rossdale from BUSH!With over a billion streams, 20 million albums sold, and continued sold-out shows around the world in iconic venues and massive arenas, BUSH has truly earned their place in rock history. Since their explosive debut back in 1994 with Sixteen Stone—which sold six million copies and gave us iconic pop classics like “Comedown,” “Machinehead,” and “Glycerine”—they’ve been unstoppable. Their follow-up, Razorblade Suitcase, produced by Steve Albini, hit #1 on the Billboard charts and went triple platinum, with the single “Swallowed” topping the charts too. Over the years, BUSH has racked up an incredible 23 consecutive Top 40 hits on the Modern and Mainstream Rock charts—six of which hit #1!We kick things off chatting about what fans can expect from BUSH’s current tour across Canada, the US, and Europe—and having just seen them live, I can vouch the show is packed with wall-to-wall hits and stage energy that’s off the charts! From there, Gavin shares his love for life on the road and what it means to still have such a powerful connection with fans after all these years.We then dive into BUSH’s upcoming album, I Beat Loneliness, which explores themes of mental health and personal growth—something Gavin talks about with real honesty and insight. We shift gears to talk about the current rock scene, his passion for tennis, and how his brand new cooking show, Dinner with Gavin, came together.Enjoy as I also feature the current single “60 Ways to Forget People” along with clips from some earlier albums. UP NEXT -Ian Thomas! He’s a Juno Award-winning singer, songwriter, film composer, author, and actor. I dive into his incredible career, starting with his 1973 debut album Ian Thomas, which gave us the classic hit Painted Ladies.

Hi everyone, I’m thrilled to welcome a very special guest to this episode of The Talk Music Podcast—the twice GRAMMY-nominated flautist, RON KORB. Ron’s extraordinary music transcends genres, weaving together elements of Instrumental, World, Crossover, Classical, Latin, Soundtrack, and New Age. Deeply rooted in the cultural richness of his Asian-Canadian heritage, his compositions reflect a global journey—both musically and literally—as he’s traveled the world collecting indigenous flutes from Europe, Asia, and South America.With 30 albums to his name, Ron has also made his mark in film, contributing to the score of The Eight Hundred, the highest-grossing international box office hit of 2020, as well as working with celebrated directors like Ang Lee, Atom Egoyan, Mira Nair, and John Woo. His music has been featured in Being Julia, The White Countess, and two IMAX films narrated by Tom Cruise and Jennifer Lawrence.I recently had the pleasure of seeing Ron perform live with an exceptional ensemble at the Sakura celebration at the Japanese Cultural Centre. It was an unforgettable evening filled with magical moments and mesmerizing music.In our conversation, we dive into Ron’s incredible music journey, and I’m excited to share song clips from across his entire career. Enjoy! 

Hi everybody, This Talk Music episode is a VERY special one for me personally. I am a Massive Pat Metheny fan, and vocalist extraordinaire DAVID BLAMIRES who sang and performed with Pat from 1986-1997 is my guest. David, for his vocal chops, took home 2 GRAMMY Awards for the albums Still Life (Talking) (in my top 5 desert albums of all time) and also We Live here. He also performed and sang on the Grammy award-winning album Imaginary Day. Our conversation took place about a month ago, shortly after David returned from one of his frequent tours in Italy, where he performs regularly with outstanding musicians, including jazz guitarist Antonio Onorato. A few days later, I had the wonderful opportunity to see David live with the superb rock-symphonic group Jeans ’n Classics. As a featured vocalist, he delivers powerful performances of classic material by The Who, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, and more—accompanied by local orchestras across North America.David has enjoyed an incredible career doing what he loves—singing and performing. I loved diving into his early musical roots in Toronto, where his remarkable 3.5-octave vocal range and expressive style led to significant success in the jingle studio scene. Our chat then takes us through a pivotal moment in his journey: being invited to join Pat Metheny’s band after being recommended by David’s friends Canadian master luthier Linda Manzer and singer-songwriter Johnny Rutledge. This amazing opportunity led to his involvement in 3 great studio albums and extensive touring across the globe, with David eventually relocating to the burgeoning studio jingle scene in Chicago. David has continued to develop his artistry over the years, releasing a range of solo projects and collaborating with talents like Emilie-Claire Barlow, among others. Be sure to check out his latest release, MELT INTO ME. I really enjoyed this engaging chat with David and can’t wait to see him sing again! Enjoy the episode!

Hi, everybody!Here’s PART 2 of my interview with RIK EMMETT, recorded live in the cozy confines of his studio loft. We take a deep dive into his legendary career as the songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist extraordinaire for Canadian rock icons TRIUMPH!Our conversation kicks off with Rik’s early days in Toronto, his decision to pursue music over sports, and his fateful first meeting with Mike Levine and Gil Moore, where he immediately recognized Gil’s sharp business acumen and Mike’s record production skills. Rik generously shares memories from each TRIUMPH album and how major support from US radio and MTV/MuchMusic impacted the band's success. We also explore his incredible songwriting contributions, including classics like “Lay It on the Line,” “Hold On,” “Fight the Good Fight,” “Ordinary Man,” “Magic Power,” “Somebody’s Out There” and “Never Surrender.”More than 40 years after exploding onto the scene, one thing remains crystal clear: Triumph’s legacy lives on. The Canadian hard-rock power trio stands out as a visionary, uniquely influential force—known for their virtuosic musicianship, soaring melodies, electrifying live shows and powerful songwriting with a positive message.It was an absolute honour to interview Rik and we had plenty of laughs along the way! Enjoy!

My guest this week is guitarist/songwriter RIK EMMETT! After a dozen PLATINUM albums from ‘75 to ‘88 with TRIUMPH (who celebrated their legacy and rise to stardom with the documentary “Rock and Roll Machine”), Rik has now released 25 more solo projects. Six decades in the biz have landed him in five halls, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, along with a few Best Guitarist awards. Rik has also released a poetry collection titled REINVENTION and a memoir, LAY IT ON THE LINE. His latest work is a collection of instrumental pieces called TEN TELECASTER TALES, and it’s accompanied by a book with detailed liner notes and personal stories. This super entertaining chat was done in person at Rik's beautiful home in his cozy studio. We chatted so long I've decided to release our conversation in two parts.In this Part 1, we dive deep into Rik's solo career after leaving Triumph. We chat about the creative process, his roots, influences, philosophy, and spirituality involved in writing and recording. Additional stories, career highlights, jams with George Benson and Alex Lifeson and a Juno-nominated album with Pavlo make part 1 a MUST listen! Stay tuned for Part 2 for a deep dive into Rik Emmett's ENTIRE Triumph career! 

In part 2 of my feature on Interesting Estonian Personalities, my guest on the Talk Music Podcast is Mari Sild—an extraordinary artist and scientist who seamlessly blends both worlds to inspire, innovate, and make a difference:www.marisildmuusika.comBy day, as a Senior Project Manager in clinical research, she plays a key role in developing new medications for migraines, hemophilia, and cancer, with past experience spanning work in cardiovascular, infectious diseases, immunology, ophthalmology, and oncology treatments.Beyond the science, Mari is also a passionate and boundary-pushing musician. Trained as a classical pianist in Estonia, she later forged her own path, creating a genre she calls Nordic fusion—a mesmerizing blend of the likes of jazz, alt-pop, and indie rock. You can find her performing in clubs and festivals, or composing and releasing songs in various languages. Her recent collaboration with Cuban musicians led to what is likely the world’s first-ever salsa song in Estonian—a true testament to her love for musical storytelling across cultures.We dive into her childhood in rural Estonia, learning to play her grandmother’s piano, touring with a symphony orchestra as a teenager and ultimately facing the difficult choice of whether to pursue music or science. We also talk about her love of travel, performing on trains (which I also love!), and her deep passion for protecting nature.It truly was a fun conversation I enjoyed very much. Mari leads a fascinating, multifaceted life, and you won’t want to miss this episode!

Hi everybody, my truly special Talk Music guest for this episode is ESTONIAN PIANIST KRISTJAN RANDALU, who exists among the most sought-after piano players of his generation, carrying the torch in both the improvised world of jazz and the traditional realm of classical music. Between creating his own original blend of contemporary jazz as a leader and collaborating with several generations of respected musicians, Randalu has brought his music to some of the world’s most renowned jazz festivals and concert halls. The prestigious magazine Jazz Times describes Kristjan’s playing as an “open invitation to an unnameable exotic land." At the same time, he is viewed as an esteemed interpreter of a broad spectrum of contemporary and classical music, performing alongside internationally acclaimed orchestras and conductors. We chat about how Kristjan was born in Estonia's capital Tallinn and how his family escaped Communist rule by relocating to Germany where he graduated from the Stuttgart Music University. Kristjan then went on to study at The Royal Academy of Music in London, followed by the Manhattan School of Music where he attained an additional master´s degree. We also delve into some of his most recent recordings including Sisu (awarded Jazz Album of the Year at the 2023 Estonian Music Awards) and Schumann’s Dichterliebe (Berlin Classics, 2024) whereby Randalu has not only deepened his musical ties to the classical world, but presented a truly original recasting of one of the Romantic repertoire’s cornerstones. We discuss his recordings with saxophonist Dave Liebman (Mussorgsky Pictures Revisited), Bodek Janke (Double Standard) and his album “Absence,” produced by Legendary owner of the ECM label, Manfred Eicher. Coming soon, his collaboration with Martin Kuuskmann (Schubert Voyage, release in March 2025 on Berlin Classics). Kristjan's list of musical partners include: Eivind Aarset, Mark Guiliana, Dieter llg, Marilyn Mazur, Nils Petter Molvaer, Claudio Puntin, Nguyen Le, Trygve Seim, Mathias Eick, Petros Klampanis, Dhafer Youssef, the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, the New Chamber Orchestra of Berlin, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, the London Symphony, Dennis Russell Davies, Paavo Järvi, Kristjan Järvi and Maria Schneider.With a discography of over 50 albums under his belt (including a Grammy-nominated recording) and numerous awards to his name (including “Jazz Artist of the Year” and “Jazz Composer of the year” in Estonia), Randalu’s prolific body of work continues to grow in breadth and quality. His unique voice is becoming internationally more and more important. This was for me a most interesting deep dive into an amazing musician and fellow Estonian! Whenever I can attend a performance you will always find me in the front row! Enjoy! 

Hi everybody, Happy New Year! I’m stoked to post this chat with my first guest of 2025: Mediterranean artist extraordinaire PAVLO! Born in Toronto to Greek parents, Pavlo’s amazing journey to touring concert halls around the globe is most impressive. Over his 20-year career, he’s released 17 albums and 4 PBS TV specials, including his latest which was filmed in Santorini! Two of his albums went GOLD, and he had a Top 10 Billboard hit with “FANTASIA.” In 2002, Pavlo won a lawsuit against R&B mega stars R-Kelly and Jay-Z, who sampled his music for their hit song “Fiesta.” Pavlo has performed for King Charles and worked/toured with artists such as Jose Feliciano, Olivia Newton John and The Tenors. He also recorded/performed a trio album called “Trifecta” with legendary guitarist OSCAR LOPEZ and Hall of Famer RIK EMMETT (Triumph). Their subsequent national tour was sold out, and the album earned Pavlo a Juno nomination!Playing what he calls “Mediterranean music”- a blend of Greek, flamenco, Latin and Balkan flavours, Pavlo chats about his early childhood, how he went GOLD on his debut album and sold out Toronto’s Massey Hall. We also talk about his continuous growth in popularity by orchestrating the release of 4 PBS specials, allowing him to tour constantly all over North America. Pavlo has headlined over 3000 concerts so far and, being a born entertainer, will keep performing and performing. This was a fun chat I enjoyed very much! If you like what you hear, please consider subscribing to get more of the Talk Music podcast.