|
contents | world | |||||||||||||
| Raul Malo's New Album 'After Hours' 'After Hours, ' musician Raul Malo's loving homage to some of his favorite country songs, will be released July 17 by New Door Records/UMe. Malo, called a "force of nature" by Entertainment Weekly for his soaring and soulful singing, has crafted a trip through 10 of his favorite classics, each one imbued with his adventurous musical spirit, wide range of influences and one-of-a-kind voice. "I wanted to make a record like this since I first started in this business, " says Malo. "Regardless of genre, I have always felt a good song could be interpreted in any number of ways. Country music has provided the world with some of the most beautiful melodies and lyrics ever to be recorded. And in this collection we wanted to offer a different interpretation of some very 'classic' country songs." The album opens with a slow-burning, seductive take on the standard "Welcome To My World, " with Raul's powerful voice taking center stage among the muted horns and piano, and among other highlights, he tackles two of country music's greatest songs, "Crying Time" by Buck Owens and Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart." The former features Raul's aching voice accompanied by a mournful clarinet and slow, shuffle beat, while the latter is reworked as a '30s swing with jazzy horn stabs and a rollicking beat. Malo recorded 'After Hours' live in-studio with almost no overdubs, deciding this approach would work best in order to capture the raw, intimate feel of his favorite albums from the '50s and '60s. He plays guitar as well as sings on the album, backed by his band: Robert Chevrier on piano, Jay Weaver on bass, Tom Lewis on drums and multi-instrumentalist Jim Hoke adding saxophone, clarinet and steel guitar to the recordings. The new album is Raul's third solo album, and comes on the heels of massive critical acclaim for his 2006 album of romantic standards, 'You're Only Lonely.' He is widely known as the leader of the platinum-selling, Grammy-award-winning band The Mavericks. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page |