By S. Hale
The dimension that supremely gifted performers exist in is one of a majesty quite beyond the norm. One must understand the heightened level of consciousness they embody particularly when that entertainer is a blind Grammy nominated guitarist.
Performing one set only was the amazingly accomplished and world-class guitarist Raul Midon a blind singer-songwriter born in New Mexico who as a one-man band mystified the packed Black Box audience at the Jefferson Center Friday, May 15.
It was one of those experiences you feel and know in your heart as being one that will never be forgotten by those fortunate to have been in attendance. An experience wrapped in an amazing display of talent almost beyond comprehension as Midon blends elements of jazz, Cuban and folk music into magic.
After being ushered to the stage by an assistant, Midon immediately began his percussive intro slapping-out a jazzy rhythmic beat on the body of his acoustic guitar as he slipped into I Love the Afternoon from his album The Mirror (2020). It was the first selection of a night of originals he performed throughout his amazing solo set.
For those familiar with Al Jarreau and Jonathan Butler, two great jazz vocalists, Midon’s voice and style was much like a combination of the two. He has a range that fluctuates effortlessly from alto to soprano on various tunes and at certain points – tightly positioning his lips, he would do this crazy trumpet-like sound and mix it all with an array of melodic ramblings that masterfully color each of his dynamic compositions.
He followed with “Everybody” from his album “State of Mind” (2005). The closing line of the tune showed his incredible vocal stylings as he skillfully volleyed between the tonic ranges with ease.
He told an interesting story of being fired from his record label due to a scheduling conflict regarding a gig he played with Colombian singer Shakira who he frequently performed with for a while.
“At that point I was in New York with nothing” he said. With rent due on his new apartment which was almost three times his previous rent, a DJ called and said three magic words, “I will pay.” It was a deal he couldn’t refuse however it led to his uncharacteristic and temporary shift to “house music” (disco).
Midon is often billed as a one-man-band which was totally exemplified through the tune he segued into “Sunshine I Can Fly” – a duet that started with him following the melody of his guitar licks doing that amazing trumpet thing he does so well. The song quickly turned into a trio of activity as (get this) he included a rapid right-hand accompaniment on a set of bongos while continuing with his left hand, to finger-away through the song. Yeah… you just had to be there!
Midon’s music and his lyrics speak to all of the very things that touch the sensitive issues in life such as dreams, inspiration, the delicate beauty in rain drops and most of all…love.
The Latin influences in his compositions are deeply prevalent particularly with the percussive approach he takes to his arangements and of course the bongos that he plays naturally with the flair of a seasoned pro.
He sat down at the piano at one point – played and delicately sang through a ballad entitled “Listen to the Rain.”
Returning to the guitar he performed two songs from Eclectic Adventurist (2022) an album of duets he wrote where he was joined by several of his favorite guitar players as Mike Stern, Jonathan Kreisberg, Lionel Loueke, Dean Parks and others.
“I wrote each tune in the style of the guitarist that I was doing the duet with,” he explained prior to treating the audience to another amazing layer of his talent. The first, Serendipity was a soft and solemn instrumental tune. He followed with a more upbeat and choppy selection Invisible Chains – both of which showed the remarkable proficiency of his fluent fingering techniques on the guitar alone.
Midway through the show his onstage assistant sat him down and gave him a ukulele he said his wife Kathleen bought him for his birthday prior to a trip to Hawaii. He performed a short upbeat tune he wrote only a few weeks ago that he said actually had no name except “My Ukulele Song.”
He performed from his album Bad Ass and Blind (2017) a song that abruptly flips at the end molding the message with its intensely snappy syncopated ending.
Midon winded things down with Waited All My Life, a love song he wrote about his “gonna be wife” who he knew would be at a gig (show) that was actually their second date. He closed with State of Mind a dynamic rapid fire song that stresses the desire to consciously be all that we as humans can be.
After all was sung and done a dazed crowd stood in amazement applauding the extraordinary artistry that is Raul Midon who then graciously took a bow and closed one very special night at the Jefferson center.
