IMN : Updates for Raul Midón

Raul Midón: A Unique One Man Band

IMN

April 1st, 2013

From Cultuur Podium

Raul Midón: A Unique Solo Performance By Four Great Musicians
By: Harm Tiddens

How much musical talent can be contained by one individual? Raul Midón gave a 4-man performance all by himself for over 1 ½ hours. The audience in the sold-out Lantaren/Venster theatre listened in awe. Raul is primarily the singer of the band. His crystal-clear voice has a wide range and warmth reminding of and on par with Stevie Wonder, mixed with a hint of George Benson. The second member of the band is Raul, the virtuoso acoustic guitar player. All notes are perfectly polished during sensitive quiet musical pieces as well as during the super-fast solos. The 3rd member of the band is Raul, the percussion player.

With his percussive flamenco-style guitar-technique, he is able to put down an amazing groove. He uses ultrafast licks to lay down accents while the rhythm remains tight, like during the famous song ‘State of mind’. He blends in an amazing bass-line throughout his guitar play, during ‘Invisible Chains’. As a percussion player, he also uses the guitar as a cajón and he plays the bongo with his right hand, while his left hand continues to play the melody line on the guitar.

Are you curious how that sounds: just listen to the beautiful ‘When you call my name’. The 4th musician in the one-man-band is Raul, the mouth trumpet player. During ‘State of Mind’ he virtually effortlessly transitions from mouth trumpet to guitar solos. For those who did not attend the concert, buying the CD ‘Invisible Chains: Live from NYC’ is your second best option. You won’t believe that a single man played all music on this CD. The perfection on this CD is similar to that during the performance in Lantaren/Venster.

To read more click here http://t.co/76CjJ01O69

Watch Raul Midón: Live In-Studio

IMN

March 14th, 2013

From Giel

Raul Midon stopped by 3FM Radio in the Netherlands for a live in-studio session.

Watch the video here

Raul Midón's Live Album Strikes A 'Beautiful Balance'

IMN

February 20th, 2013

From Written In Music

RAUL MIDON – INVISIBLE CHAINS
By: Dick Hovenga

Though Raul Midon’s albums are all very tasteful, his live performances are the best. Invisible Chains offers a fine insight into his live-performance qualities.

Recorded in Joe’s Pub in New York last year, the album opens with ‘I Can Fly’ and sets the perfect mood right away. His great trumpet imitation followed by the synchronous bongo and bass-line play on his guitar, are obviously also very impressive. His beautiful, warm soul-voice and his great direct presentation really wrap up the opening song. Having been a true live-performance success for years and often times a concert-closer, it appears to be risky to start with that song but instead, Midon optimally catches the audience’s attention and won’t let go of it for the rest of the performance. A beautiful balance between quiet songs and swinging pieces combined with his unquestionably virtuoso guitar playing make this an absolute recommendation.

To read more click here

Raul Midon Performs On Air at FOX 5 News

IMN

November 28th, 2012

from Fox News

If you missed Raul Midon on morning television in Washington D.C., here’s a chance to see it! The singer/songwriter performed on air at Fox 5 news in promotion of his current release: Invisible Chains. Watch

Raul Midón, homme-orchestre

IMN

November 12th, 2012

From Liberation Next

Raul Midón, homme-orchestre
By: FRANÇOIS-XAVIER GOMEZ

Pour sa tournée française, comme sur son CD Invisible Chains, enregistré au Joe’s Pub de New York en avril, Raul Midón propose la formation suivante : voix, trompette, percussions, guitare. Et il fait tout lui-même : les solos de trompette avec la bouche, les bongos en même temps que la gratte. Le mot gratte est un poil cavalier pour cet artiste à la technique bluffante. Comment fait-il ?, se demandent invariablement les spectateurs. «Je travaille énormément, répond-il simplement. Je ne nie pas avoir un don, mais ce ne serait rien sans le travail quotidien auquel je m’astreins.»

Né en 1966 au Nouveau-Mexique, de mère afro-américaine et de père argentin, Raul Midón est aveugle, comme son frère jumeau, aujourd’hui ingénieur à la Nasa. «J’ai commencé mon apprentissage par la percussion, dit-il. Ensuite, j’ai eu plusieurs professeurs de guitare, classique et flamenco. Mon style, s’il fallait le définir, est un mélange de ces deux écoles.»

To read more click here

Here is a video of Raul Midon- Live music and interview!

Rencontre avec Raul Midon. from Night Groove on Vimeo.

REVIEW: Raul Midón at Howard Theatre

IMN

June 25th, 2012

from Brightest Young Things

Raul Midón at Howard Theatre
By Alan Pyke

Most of the Howard Theatre shows I’ve been to since the historic venue’s grand reopening have been loud, crowded, and (for D.C. at least) dancy. But on Friday, the place was buttoned up for Raul Midón, with tables criss-crossing the dancefloor and crowded with people sitting, drinking, nibbling. The contrast between Howard-as-dancehall and the sit-down edition is sort of like the difference between throwing a party because your parents are out of town, and having a very formal graduation party under their watchful eye.

But there was nothing stiff about this crowd. Midón could take the starch out of a military collar with his guitar if he wanted to, and I don’t think anybody felt pressured to be on their best behavior. Instead, with the clink of glasses and a barely-audible murmur of chatter rising up into the handful of silences between songs and stories and raucous ovations, it felt like the cinematic version of a 1940s jazz club.But I digress. You probably want to hear about one of the greatest living guitar players, performing on a brand-new custom-built guitar for the first time, attacking his instrument five different ways, each unlike anything you’ve seen done to an acoustic guitar, all while wrapping his silky voice around melodies that would be at home on a Stevie Wonder record.Raul Midón is a sight, though it feels cruel to say so of a musician blinded in infancy. Uncomfortable or not, it’s true: Standing upright in a dark jacket, grey fedora, large sunglasses and bigger grin, Midón produced the signature blend of gentle plucking and percussive attack that defines his on-record sound. But seeing how he gets that paradoxical set of sounds out of one instrument, without technological aid, is breathtaking. There are at least three and maybe five separate axes of motion going on with his right hand. One looks like a flat thumping on the strings, like playing a conga, but with such precision that he’s able to lay down a rhythmic chord progression with the flat of his hand without interfering with the melody.

The melody’s coming from that same hand, using a combination of these other two distinct playing motions. In one his fingers curl up to pluck, but this is not your grandaddy’s fingerpicking. It involves the wrist more, there’s more motion to it overall, and it produces these bright, clear runs of notes, moving above and through the chords he’s spanking out.

His melodies often feature a harmonic or two that burst forth cleanly from complexity, and it was astonishing on Friday to watch him routinely, effortlessly pull these overtones out for a second, then dive back into the impossible intricacy where he’s so at home. And where the overtones are unmistakably coming from the guitar, the impeccable trumpet solos he sang initially had me looking to the wings for a horn player. But no, he’s just taught himself how to perfectly mimic the sound of a muted, bluesy trumpet. And has a sharp enough ear and musical mind that, while juggling rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic elements on one guitar, he can toss in another ball and keep guitar and trumpet working off of one another beautifully.

Read the full article here

Raul Midón Releases New Track

IMN

June 14th, 2012

Raul Midón has just publicly released a new meditative track entitled Anticipation. This is his first song recorded with his new acoustic guitar built by Jeff Traugott Guitars. Midón says, “She is an acoustic powerhouse, with unique sounds, made one of a kind, a dream within a dream, she is… Tembererana.”

Vist the BandPage to listen to Anticipation
… or TWEET #RaulMidon to recieve a free download!

Discover the Unheralded Genius of Raul Midon

IMN

March 29th, 2012

Discover the Unheralded Genius of Raul Midon

Virtuosic artist brings his one-man show to the MACC Pavilion tonight
By Jon Woodhouse

Raul Midon is one of the most phenomenally talented musicians of our time who is not widely known. A remarkably accomplished guitarist, singer and composer who has been compared to artists like Al Jarreau, George Benson, Donny Hathaway and Sting, Midon often receives rapturous reviews.

“When you witness someone who is really good, like singer-songwriter Raul Midon, it’s a profoundly moving experience,” praised the U.K. Guardian.

Soul-Culture noted: “As far as the blend of pop, folk, soul and jazz is concerned, it’s hard to think of anyone doing it quite as well as him.”

And Guitar World raved: “Raul Midon plays acoustic guitar like a tiger, with ferocity and grace. On ‘Synthesis,’ his fifth album, he slaps, snaps, taps and plucks his way through 11 songs that capture an organic style that fits flamenco, classical music, jazz and rock inside a lush pelt of pure, uplifting pop.”

Midon will likely entrance his audience with one of the year’s most memorable performances when he makes his Maui debut tonight at the MACC’s Pavilion/Courtyard.

Admired by many leading musicians, in the last few years he’s either recorded or performed live with Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, India.Arie, Pat Metheny, Jason Mraz and hip-hop star Snoop Dog.

Influenced by jazz, blues, R&B, folk, Latin, classical and even reggae, Midon has developed his own percussive, flamenco/jazz guitar style. He calls it a “slap attack” guitar technique, allowing him to simultaneously play melody, harmony, bass and percussion, all while singing with graceful power.

Read the full article here

Raul Midón Finds the Spotlight

IMN

March 29th, 2012

Raul Midón Finds the Spotlight
By Andrew Gilbert

Crazy things happen when Raul Midón is on stage alone. With his soaring, Stevie Wonderish voice and percussive, flamenco-inspired guitar style, he’s a one-man orchestra who has created a strikingly beautiful body of original songs influenced by jazz, soul and Latin styles.

His duo project with Cameroonian bass virtuoso Richard Bona was one of most talked-about sets at last summer’s Monterey Jazz Festival, but the moment that lingers most in my memory took place when Bona left the bandstand.

Just as Midón launched into his anthem “Sunshine” from his 2005 breakthrough album “State of Mind” (Manhattan), R&B star India.Arie joined Midón for an impromptu duet. Midón, who along with his twin brother, a NASA engineer, lost his eyesight shortly after birth because of an incubator accident, didn’t realize Arie was approaching until she stepped to the microphone.
“I was blown away by what they were doing and I wanted to get up there, but I didn’t feel like there was a natural opening,” Arie told me a few days after the festival. “When Richard left, I jumped up. I love that song, the mic was open and I just wanted to have that experience.”

In fact, Arie had appeared unbidden with Midón once before, in the midst of an impassioned rendition of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” at the North Sea Jazz Festival in 2007 (a performance available on YouTube).

“That was also her crashing the stage,” says Midón, 46, in a Skype conversation from Paris. His performances Sunday as part of SFJazz’s Spring Season at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Forum, and Monday at Kuumbwa are billed as solo concerts (though I can’t vouch for Arie’s whereabouts).

Born in rural New Mexico, Midón grew up fully aware of the power of music. His father, a tango dancer from Argentina, met and wooed his mother when he was on the job. Performing in New Mexico while touring around North America, he approached the table of a fetching young woman “serenading my mom with the Latin American standard ‘Quando Caliente El Sol,’ “ Midón says, his grin almost audible over the line.

Read the full article here

INTERVIEW: A Conversation with Guitar God with Raul Midón

IMN

January 26th, 2012

from WBNQ

A Conversation with Guitar God with Raul Midón

Interviewing artists who really inspire you is such a delight. Raul Midon, who is headlining at the BCPA Cafe Thursday evening, was kind enough to chat with me about his marvelous music, his desire to never regain his sight, and how to judge groupies when you are blind.

If you enjoy the music of Jazon Mraz, you will love Raul Midon. He has collaborated and toured with Jason, and I think taught him a thing or two.

“Raul Midón is the kind of artist who makes R&B taste-makers twitch with pleasure. Blind since birth, his music is a remarkable blend of soul, R&B, pop, folk, jazz, and Latin. There’s no doubt he’ll dazzle you with his soaring vocals and rapid-fire, flamenco-inspired guitar. But it’s the simplicity of what he does, the soul virtuosity that recalls his R&B mentors Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, that will leave you spellbound.”

Listen to the interview here

Raul Midon to Record Live Album in New York

IMN

November 3rd, 2011

from Soul Tracks

Raul Midon to record live album in New York

“One of those rare musical forces that remind us how strong and deep the connection between man and music can sometimes be.” – Guitar Player

Brooklyn, NY — Internationally acclaimed vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Raul Midón will record his first ever live album over a two night stand at Highline Ballroom in New York City on Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20. Described by The New York Times as “a one-man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus,” Midón will re-imagine some of his best known work from three previous studio albums, including favorites like “State Of Mind,” “Sunshine” and “If You Are Gonna Leave,” as well as debuting a handful of new songs he’s yet to perform or record in concert. In addition, fans who pre-order tickets will receive a free download of “Listen To The Rain,” the first commercially released track to feature Midón playing piano.

The son of an Argentinean father and an African-American mother, Raul Midón was born prematurely in a rural hospital in Embudo, New Mexico, where he and his twin brother were blinded as infants after spending time in an incubator without adequate eye protection. Adding to an already tragic outset, their mother passed away when they were only four years old. Raul was raised by his father, a professional dancer, who instilled in his son a belief that anything was possible and that his handicap could never be allowed to stand in the way of what he set out to accomplish. He’d go on to attend and graduate from the University of Miami’s prestigious jazz program where he also met his wife Kathleen. The couple moved to New York City in 2002, so that Raul could pursue his dream of writing, recording and touring as a solo artist. The young musician built a dedicated following by performing tirelessly in clubs around the city. Before long Raul had secured a monthly residency at Joe’s Pub, released his first internationally acclaimed album and found himself playing to adoring audiences around the world.

Read the full article here

Raul Midon: Mountain Stage Broadcast

IMN

August 4th, 2011

Raul Midon’s appearance at Mountain Stage will be re-broadcast August 5th, 2011. Air times vary by station, a complete list of which can be found here

The following week, Midon’s set will be posted at NPR.org/mountainstage and archived for continued access, allowing anyone who missed the broadcast to access the show.

For more information about Midon’s appearance at Mountain Stage, click here

Raul Midon To Perform In Sofia, Bulgaria

IMN

May 5th, 2011

http://www.bulgaria-hotels.com/en/sofia/raul-midon-in-bulgaria.html

Raul Midon in Sofia, Bulgaria

Are you ready for listening to gentle music which will touch your soul? We are pleased to inform you that the guitarist, composer Raul Midón will gig in Sofia city on 13th of May 2011. This talented musician, who sees the world through his soul, will leave you speechless.

To read the full article click here

Midon Making His Own Way in the World

IMN

April 22nd, 2011

from North Shore News

Midón Making His Own Way in the World
Eclectic approach finds home in New York City

By Tessa Holloway

There was never a plan B for Raul Midón.

The New Mexico-born singer-songwriter has been playing guitar since he was six years old, when he learned from the flamenco guitarist at his father’s restaurant, and percussion before that. Never, he says, did he consider doing anything but music. That’s partly a testament to his drive, but also partly because Midón has been blind since just after his birth, and didn’t feel there were too many other options.

“You can’t run the back-up plan when you’re blind as easily,” he says from a Texas highway on the road to Austin. “I never really had a plan to teach or anything like that. I could’ve, but it’s not really what I wanted to do.”

No worries. Back-up plans aren’t as important when you ooze talent on stage, with lightning-quick fingers and a soulful voice. Close your eyes, and many might conjure up images of a three-piece band complete with drums and a trumpet. Open them up again and you’ll see Midón standing alone, tapping his guitar in rhythm.

Stepping out of the University of Miami’s music program, Midón found quick work in the studio for Latin musicians such as Shakira and Enrique Iglesias, providing back-up vocals and guitar and continuing in the styles he learned from his Argentina-born father.

It was a comfortable living, but not quite soul-affirming.

“Eventually I just realized that I wanted to do my own thing. A lot of the music we worked on was pretty, well, it wasn’t very interesting to me,” he says.

It’s that desire for more of a creative outlet that led him to pack his bags and move to New York City, start playing bars and building a name for himself. And it’s there that, however briefly, he started to wonder if he needed a Plan B after all.

“There’s 100,000 musicians in New York and a lot of them are really good, so you find out very quickly that you have to find how you fit into all of that,” says Midón, pivoting to talk about his song “State of Mind,” the title track from his 2005 album, in which he dreams of being rich and happy during the cold New York winters.

“It was the best thing I ever did for my career, ever,” he said of the move.

Read the full article here

INTERVIEW: Raul Midon in NY Examiner

IMN

January 11th, 2011

From Examiner.com

Interview with singer-guitarist Raul Midon
by Layla Macoran

Raul Midon has been a favorite among critics for the passion of his live performances and the stellar work of his three solo albums, State of Mind (2005), A World Within A World (2007), and Synthesis (2009). He has been touring extensively with the latest album, traveling across the United States, Europe and Asia. On January 16th, he brings his many talents to South Orange Performing Arts Center. Midon graciously answered a few questions for NY Culture Examiner, somewhere between our fair city and the rest of the world.

*How was the overseas response to Synthesis?

The response has been enormously positive. People all over the world have been generous with my constant search for new sounds and new material.

*Do you have a favorite city to play?

I have a few cities that rank at the very top: Amsterdam, Tokyo and Paris for instance but every city has its own unique energy.

*There is about a week of “down time” from the date of the SOPAC show and then off to Germany. Any specific plans during that time?

I have a routine, which I adhere to, which includes writing every day, practicing and quiet meditation.

*Your music has crossed genres almost seamlessly. What can fans look forward to after Synthesis?

There are many ideas, which I am playing around with right now. Mostly I am writing and demoing new songs and after a little more time we’ll see what emerges.

*You’ve worked with some great artists in your career (Dianne Reeves, Larry Klein, Jason Mraz, Paulinho Da Costa, etc.). Do you have a “dream list” of people you would love to collaborate with in the future?

Rather than enumerating a list of names I’ll just say that I am keeping an open mind and open ears.

*You moved to New York many years ago and stated in interviews that the great thing about a New York audience is that they are used to hearing original material. What does the city give you creatively and personally that may be different from another city?

The city will always have a special place in my heart because it is the place that first embraced my work.  There’s a kind of energy and constant give and take in the city that is unlike any other place.

Raul Midon at South Orange Performing Arts Center Sunday, January 16th. Tickets, $35, $25. Go to www.sopacnow.org for tickets and information or 973-313-2787 to order by phone.

Read the full article here

Confirmed Tourdates As Of

IMN

June 2nd, 2013: Yoshida Park, Itadaki Festival Shizuoka, Japan [Raul Midon]
June 26th, 2013: The Little Nell Hotel, Jazz Aspen Snowmass Aspen, CO USA [Raul Midon]
June 27th, 2013: The Little Nell Hotel, Jazz Aspen Snowmass Aspen, CO USA [Raul Midon]
June 28th, 2013: Daniels Hall Denver, CO USA [Raul Midon]
June 29th, 2013: MIM Music Theater Phoenix, AZ USA [Raul Midon]
July 3rd, 2013: JAZZIZ Nightlife Boca Raton, FL USA [Raul Midon]
July 23rd, 2013: The Triple Door Seattle, WA USA [Raul Midon]
July 24th, 2013: Kuumbwa Jazz Center Santa Cruz, CA USA [Raul Midon]
August 31st, 2013: Auvernier Jazz Festival Auvernier, Switzerland [Raul Midon]
October 24th, 2013: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts St. Paul, MN USA [Lizz Wright and Raul Midon]
October 24th, 2013: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts St. Paul, MN USA [Raul Midon]
October 25th, 2013: Ordway Center for the Performing Arts St. Paul, MN USA [Lizz Wright and Raul Midon]
November 21st, 2013: Blue Beat Sydney, Australia [Raul Midon]
November 22nd, 2013: The Toff In Town Melbourne, Australia [Raul Midon]
November 23rd, 2013: Mullum Music Festival Mullumbimby, Australia [Raul Midon]
November 24th, 2013: Mullum Music Festival Mullumbimby, Australia [Raul Midon]