John Beaudin - Hey Kevin, Linda Nash of Tidal Wave Records has told me nice things about you. When she'd heard that we hadn't talked yet she just got the ball rolling. So, here we are! By the way, you did a nice job on the new album "Sweet Spot." How do you compare this one to your previous albums?

Kevin Toney - Well, let's see. I believe all the CD's I've done have all those melodic items. My ears guide me to writing material that is timely but timeless so it needs to be somewhat memorable where they can be from a composer's point of view and that's how I connect with my listeners. So, I'd like to say this new album is just the stuff that's coming out seven solo CD's later. This is the page that you find Kevin Toney at right now. The playing? Well, John I've been doing this for a long time. I've had consistency over the years as a solo performer so let's say at this point Kevin Toney is a seasoned bottle of wine. It only gets better with time.

John - Sounds like you're at a great spot in your career.

Kevin - However, I could say that for this CD "Sweet Spot" I wanted to really evolve and depart from some of my earlier works so it's edgier in terms of the playing. As a pianist I'm really much more on the edge on this one. I wanted to specifically go back for the adventure of Jazz no matter what kind of Jazz it is, Smooth Jazz, Contemporary Jazz or straight ahead Jazz. Jazz in itself co notates to me an adventure. The soloist must take you on an adventure and so I wanted to reconnect with that.

John - To me "Sweet Spot" and "Portrait of You" are the ultimate Smooth Jazz driving songs.

Kevin - Is that right? (laughing) "Sweet Spot" and "Portrait of You" yeah, they're beautiful. You hit on two of my favorites. You know one of the things that stand out for me on this new CD is the life aspect of the songs. I've been performing the music live for the last two months and I've been performing about eight of the cuts out of thirteen. I like to play every track on an album but the shows are just not long enough. I feel if I haven't played something then I'm missing something.

John - When you were recording "Prelude to Portrait" that was improvised right?

Kevin - That's correct that was a freely solo, improvised on the moment piece.

John - First take?

Kevin - That was probably the second take. I just recorded that in my studio that I'm looking at right now that overlooks my home.

John - How much of your show is improvised?

Kevin - My songs are structured as piano vehicles anyway. One of the things you'll find about my music as opposed to the other contemporary pianist out there is I don't mind if the piano is the lead voice. I'm not one to mix it with saxophone and that's a rarity. I'm quite confident with the piano being the voice. In concert I always make it a point to play a solo piano piece that says here I am naked.

John - I think a good example of your approach is your take on the Nelly hit "Dilemma" now there's a song that I would think could be easy to overproduce, sure you kept the sample of the vocal chorus and there is lots going on there but it's still very clean.

Kevin - I understand. You know John, I'm a composer first so when I do a record I'm not thinking what cover should I do but at the same token I know what the record company looks for and doing covers is another way for the record company to market you. At this point in my career that's not a problem and what you have to do is pick a cover that you'd like to do and that you believe in. I had been listening to that song a long time before doing the CD and I thought if I was ever going to cover a song that would be a perfect one to do. The melody fits really well over the piano. It has a melody that really sings on the piano. You see all melodies sing on instruments different than they do on a vocal so you have to find that song that really works with what you're doing.

John - So how did you tackle "Dilemma?"

Kevin - I wanted to be true to the song and melody and I wanted something that would be recognizable immediately but I wanted to give my own spin to it and I think what I gave it was my personality in it, plus of course a jazzier interpretation.

John - And it's still a great piano song!

Kevin - Yes, it's still a great piano song.

John - Is the vocal on your version a sample of the original?

Kevin - That's the same should I say vocal sample that they use on the original so it's original in sound and concept to what Nelly and Kelly Rowland on their original version. I would be remiss not to mention my good friend Paul Jackson Jr. who helped me a lot. He made it extra special.

John - I think Paul Jackson Jr. can play anything.

Kevin - He's very gifted and Paul and I have a long history together that goes back to my very first record in the eighties called "Special K." It's out of print now and it was released on the same label that released some of the Blackbyrds stuff. Going back to "Dilemma," I first thought how can I make this song enchanting and inviting and keep the same vibe that Kelly and Nelly had.

John - So, your version and Nelly's version are both duets.

Kevin - Yes and I thought the best thing to do in the Jazz sense is get another instrumentalist to come in and play the second verse and play a solo. I hope I was successful in conveying that song as a duet kind of vibe.

John - How did you meet Paul?

Kevin - Here's the story. When I did that first solo project that I was telling you about I met him through a friend of mine called Ray Parker Jr. who we all know as a Pop artist who had a lot of hits including "Ghostbusters." Apart from Ray being a successful singer and songwriter he was a hack of a session guitarist ands he did a lot of work in the studio. I called Ray to be on my first album but he said "I'd love to do it but I'm too busy being a star now so why don't you take this guy Paul Jackson Jr. I'm been referring him to some good gig's and he's a great guy." So, hey if I couldn't get my main guy and he referred me to this new guy I thought sure. Paul at this point was at the beginning of his career and look what he's done since. He's on everybody's record he's the most recorded guitarist in the world!