RAUL MALO —AROUND THE WORLD (Decca)

[Maurice Hope]

www.raulmalo.com   

When it comes to serving up what the public craves, Raul Malo of the Mavericks knows it better than most. His wonderful, hugely distinctive baritone voice is able at a heartbeat, to stop you in your tracks. His ability to transform a song and shape it to suit himself has long made him a favourite of the connoisseur of song. Aided by his Cuban linage and bilingual singing he not only colours a song but makes an indelible impression as people can’t it seem get enough of his work. 

 

Aided by the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra and Spanish horns at a show they performed, to a sell-out audience at the Sage Gateshead July last year as part of their annual SummerTyne Americana Festival music a broad spectrum of material is covered. Even broader still will be covered when in the company of American dobro ace Jerry Douglas and Scottish fiddler Aly Bain and a host of other he returns to play the venue as part of the Transatlantic Sessions. It sure will be interesting to hear what he performs.

 

Among the highlights for me on the recording you can list his infectious version of the Mavericks’ ‘Dance The Night Away’ that has the place rocking, and so big a song it is enough for them to take a break (well deserved it would be too). While his solo recordings of the flowing, extravagant sounding ‘Lucky One’ and an easy fit as an old shoe version of the Engelbert Humperdinck hit ‘A Man Without Love’ he strikes it big. With Orchestra in full swing and horns blasting the arrangements are strong and powerful that only a seasoned pro and man of Malo’s capabilities and vision could pull off. ‘I Said I Love You’ an accordion aided ‘Moonlight Kiss’ plus of his ‘must here’ bilingual version of ‘Guantanamera’ that have the audience give a fine account of their singing has the hall buzzing and the words please can we have more on everyone’s lips likewise are numbers I gravitated to. There are others too but I really need to be in the mood for some, and that is to take nothing away from his great artistry on the likes of ‘Indian Love Call’ or the impassioned ‘Every Little Thing About You’. Awash in great flourishes this is Malo at his flamboyant best. 

 

While ‘Make The World Go Away’ was a country hit Eddy Arnold and Ray Price his version bears little in the way of representation of the genre it works a treat. Though Around the World isn’t the first album I reach out for to play it will be for a great many and as far as live music goes this is a sterling performance! Now in the comfort of their living room those who adore Raul they can now hear him every night and savour this one-off unique concert. And, what a night is was too. For one has there ever a time when people took to dancing in the isles to the Northern Sinfonia! I don’t think so. Good on you, Raul and all those on that balmy summer’s evening supporting live music.

                                                           Maurice Hope