Raul Midon Solo

Sonntag, 8. Juni 2014, ca. 15:40 Uhr

“A one-man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus.”
— The New York Times

Ever since the 20th century turned into the 21st, singer-songwriter and guitarist Raul Midón has earned renown as one of music’s most distinctive and searching voices – “a one-man band… who is spiritually connected,” according to The New York Times, and “an eclectic adventurist,” in the words of People magazine. Artists from Jeff Beck to Jason Mraz are on record as big fans, and Midón has collaborated with such heroes as Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder, along with contributing to recordings by Queen Latifah and Snoop Dogg and the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s She Hate Me. The New Mexico native, blind since birth, has released seven albums since 1999, including the hit studio productions State of Mind (Manhattan/EMI, 2005), A World Within a World (Manhattan/EMI, 2007) and Synthesis (Decca/Universal, 2009). Midón’s most recent release is the captivating CD/DVD Invisible Chains – Live from NYC, which documents an intimate concert in Joe’s Pub from 2012. Attuned listeners can hear the inspirations of Donny Hathaway and Richie Havens in his work, as well as Sting and Paul Simon. But Midón’s questing musicality makes him, as the Huffington Post put it, “a free man beyond category.”

Search for “Raul Midón” on YouTube and you’ll find a clip of him appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman in 2006. Performing “State of Mind,” the title track from his major-label debut, Midón unveils what would become his signature combination of silky tenor voice and percussive guitar style. His guitar playing is a syncopated, flamenco- and jazz-infused wonder in which bass, harmony and melodic lines fly from the fretboard in a way that seems to belie the fact that all the music is being produced by just two hands. If that weren’t enough, Midón busts out his improvisational mouth-horn technique, in which he creates a bebop “trumpet” solo entirely with his lips, earning himself a spontaneous burst of mid-song applause from the audience in the process. It’s the sort of performance that led the Huffington Post to describe how “he plays with such freedom and joy that his hands smile.” Billboard called him, simply and aptly, “a virtuoso.”

Ever since being told by some when he was a child that his blindness meant that “you can’t do this, you can’t do that,” Midón has lived a life devoted to beating the odds and shattering stereotypes. After three major-label albums, Midón has seized the day with his next, independent production. “I’m so excited about this record I’m working on now – the freedom I have means that it’s going to be the best I’ve ever made,” he insists. “Producing an album on your own, there are ups and downs to the process. But in this brave new world, an artist has the advantage of being able to realize his or her vision in a very pure, self-directed way. Collaborating with a high-profile producer like Arif Mardin or Larry Klein is wonderful, but working on your own gives you the luxury of more time and control – you’re not working on someone’s studio clock. And I have my own production aesthetic, which is based on acoustic sounds, with clear arrangements of mostly guitar and percussion. This is totally my record like nothing else I’ve done, and the possibilities are so inspiring. I want to bring my fans along on this journey – they’ll hear the freedom I feel.” 

Besetzung:

• Raul Midon - git, voc