MUSIC BLOGS
MUSIC BLOGS
category: music
10 Mar 2010
by: airlie

Raul Midón - who critics have compared to Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, and Donny Hathaway - may be the most compelling “triple threat” to come along in years - a show-stopping guitarist, brilliant pop/soul/jazz vocalist, and a remarkable, outspoken songwriting talent.

Midón’s brilliance in all three areas is on vivid display on his third album, ‘Synthesis’ (April 13/Decca), recorded by legendary producer and bassist Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock) with some of L.A.’s finest musicians. The album features eleven new songs, including ten Midon originals and a stunning cover of The Beatles’ “Blackbird.”

Raul Midon is the very embodiment of an “outlier” - he made the most of his unique circumstances - and he practiced like hell.

Raul and his twin brother Marco both lost their vision as newborns when they were placed in hospital incubators without proper eye protection. Another tragedy befell them at age 4, when their mother died. But their father, an acclaimed Argentinian dancer, instilled in his boys a strong work ethic, and they both achieved extraordinary success. Marco became an electrical engineer for NASA; and Raul, after a successful career as a session singer for artists like Shakira and Julio Iglesias, has emerged as a brilliant singer/songwriter/guitarist.

“Raul was very disciplined as a kid,” brother Marco says. “At six or seven years old, he practiced guitar 7 or 8 hours a day…Dad said there’s nothing that you can’t do.”

After putting in more than the requisite “10,000 hours,” Midón has developed a percussive, flamenco/jazz guitar style that astonishes audiences and a silky smooth tenor, including “a spine-tingling falsetto and an uncanny ability to mimic a trumpet,” according to People Magazine.

Raul’s first two albums brought critical acclaim, appearances on all the major late night T.V. shows in the U.S. and Europe, and multiple world tours. New Yorkers will get a preview of the tour, when Midon plays a special, intimate show at his former homebase, Joe’s Pub, on March 12. He returns to NYC on May 18 for a performance at City Winery. See below for a full itinerary and stay tuned for more confirmed dates.

Raul Midon 2010 U.S. Tour Dates:

March 12 New York, NY Joe’s Pub
April 27 Los Angeles, CA The Roxy
April 30 San Diego, CA Anthology
May 2 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts/SF Jazz
May4 Seattle, WA Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley
May 5 Seattle, WA Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley
May 7 Denver, CO Swallow Hill
May 9 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
May 11 Minneapolis, MN Dakota Bar and Grill
May 12 Chicago, IL Lincoln Hall
May 15 Northampton, MA Iron horse
May 16 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
May 18 New York, NY City Winery
May 19 Woodbridge, NJ Music on Main Street
May 21 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live
May 23 Akron, OH University of Akron

For More Information, visit RaulMidon.com

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