BILL VAUGHAN’S TASTY CLIPS: Raul Midon shows his many talents
The astonishingly multi-talented Raul Midon is back on the scene with a new album aptly titled “Bad Ass and Blind” on Mack Avenue Records.
The phrase, coined from words the legendary Bill Withers used to describe the sightless at birth, singer-songwriter/guitarist from New Mexico, fits.
The audience at Atlanta’s City Winery sat in awe as Midon started spitting bars in the title track and doing things he rightly said no one has even seen before — like playing guitar, bongos and mouth trumpet during one impressive number.
“He’s a combination of Miles Davis, George Benson and [Brazilian percussionist] Paulinho Da Costa,” said a fan enthusiastically to Tasty Clips. In later songs, echoes of Eric Benet, D’Angelo and El DeBarge could be heard.
“I’m listening to a lot of music,” Midon offered in a later interview, “but there are certain things that made an impact on me like Miles Davis’ ‘Sketches of Spain’ or D’Angelo’s ‘Brown Sugar.’ Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, [Stevie Wonder’s] ‘Songs in the Key of Life,’ there are those things that are always a part of you.”
Before introducing the composition “Red, Green, Yellow,” Midon talked about the challenge of writing a song about something he’s never experienced and how writers influence the world he sees.
“I really admire writers a lot,” he said. “Music tends to be in the background for a lot of people. Whereas you know if you’re a writer and someone read your book, they sat down with it. Not everybody who listens to your music gets into it deeply. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t. It depends on what the context is.”
Interestingly enough, books that have given him vision include Ernest Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea,” Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” Gabriel García Márquez’ “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” and his current favorite, “All The Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr.”
“It’s the only book I’ve ever read that has a blind character that is portrayed accurately,” Midon said. “They’re usually nothing other than a beggar or some kind of peripheral character. This author does a superb job.”
Midon’s talents have allowed the Maryland resident the opportunity to perform for crowds around the world. He cites Amsterdam, Tokyo and The Netherlands as amazing places; and finds the music in Dubai interesting.
“The Arabs have a certain way of feeling rhythm,” he said. “I’m fascinated when they’re singing The Quran. I grew up with Flamenco and because the Moors were in Spain for so many years, it has a lot of that influence in it. So, when you hear a Muslim call to prayer, you hear a lot of that in there.”
Midon returns to Los Angeles for two nights at the Blue Whale on April 21 and 22. Prepare to be wowed!
CLIPPETTES: Effie Brown, executive producer of Lee Daniels’ “Star” and producer of “Dear White People,” will receive the Trailblazer Award at AudFest on April 7. For more on festival (running through April 9) visit: www.theaudienceawards.com/audfest …
N.W.A.’s debut album, “Straight Outta Compton,” is going to be inducted in the D.C.’s Library of Congress …
“Michael Colyar’s Momma,” a dramatic one-man show tour featuring the comic/actor/radio show host has its opening run April 7- 9 and 14-16 at Hollywood’s ACME Comedy Theater …
Desiigner, who ruled last year’s airwaves with his surprising rap hit “Panda,” is performing at the Fonda Theatre on April 10. Singer Aloe Blacc attributed the song’s popularity to being extremely tribal. “It’s attracting to a very visceral part in us all,” he said to Tasty Clips. “I think regardless of the lyric, which I don’t care for, he hit a home run.” …
Vince Staples follows at the Fonda for the following two nights …
“Deuces,” a new original drama starring Lance Gross, Larenz Tate, Meagan Good, Rick Gonzalez, LaLa Anthony and Antonique Smith, is currently running on Netflix …
Lupe Fiasco, whose latest song, “Kneelin’ On Needles” supports NFL free-agent QB Colin Kaepernick, will perform on April 12 at The Novo DTLA …
Jill Scott celebrated turning 45 with a private party in Nashville that had Erykah Badu and Ed Lover among the well-wishers. She’s now prepping for her 25-city summer tour that hits the Hollywood Bowl on Aug. 16.
TASTY QUIP: “We’re at the beginning of a renaissance where people are realizing black films can not only work at the box office, but they can work because there’s been a void. ‘Get Out’ is fresh and novel and new because at the base level it has a black, male protagonist in a horror movie. It is no mistake that the iconic image from this movie is Daniel’s face with tears streaming down his cheeks. We haven’t seen that before. Usually in horror movies — as in Blair Witch — it is the white girl’s crying face.” – Writer-Director JORDAN PEELE, whose hit will be released on Blu-Ray and DVD on May 23 to THR.
TC ON TV: April 7 – “The Get Down” (Netflix): The network’s extravagant hip-hop series concludes its first season with the remaining seven episodes. “The Toy Box” (ABC): Eric Stonestreet (“Modern Family”) hosts this competition for inventors vying to get their product made by Mattel and sold exclusively at Toys “R” Us. Keep an eye on SC’s Darla Davenport-Powell, whose Niya Doll sings and speaks in multiple languages. “The Rap Game” (Lifetime): Deetranada and Nova have been front-runners, but youngest contestant King Roscoe has been stepping it up. The chain and contract gets awarded tonight.
April 9 – “The Best Place To Be” (Travel): Anthony Anderson’s Barcelona. “Who Do You Think You Are” (TLC): Smokey Robinson. “Scene of the Crime with Tony Harris” (ID): Goes deep into small-town America to pull back the curtain on the often-nefarious players and foreboding places at the center of crimes that happened there.
April 10 – “Live With Kelly” (ABC): Vin Diesel. Must be time for a new “Fast and Furious” flick. “Hip Hop Squares” (VH1): Fat Joe vs. French Montana; Bell Biv Devoe vs. SWV. “Better Call Saul” (AMC): “Breaking Bad” fan favorite Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) gets more backstory this season in this spin-off prequel.
April 12 – “Underground” (WGN): This extended episode airing at an earlier timeslot will feature Aisha Hinds (“Under the Dome”) delivering “A Ted Talk” as Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad’s most famous conductor. The show will have back-to-back encores throughout the night.
April 13 – “Scandal” (ABC): Olivia Pope wonders how different her life would be if she, Mellie and Cyrus had never rigged Fitz’s election in this 100th episode.
TASTY QUIP: “[Kanye West meeting with Donald Trump] didn’t bother me. Why wouldn’t you? Black people shouldn’t have permanent friends or enemies. They should have permanent interests. If it wasn’t for Dr. Martin Luther King being willing to meet with people like [Governor] George Wallace, George Wallace would have not have ended up — starting a racist bigot — he ended [as] a person who found God in some way. Appointed more blacks to his office than any other governor since him. So, I maintain hope that all human beings can steer a changed course.” – KILLER MIKE to Channel 4.