Raul Malo
Growing up as a Philadelphia Phillies fan in the 1960s, I was drawn to Cookie Rojas, a jack of all trades on the field who once played all nine positions in a single game. Like his fellow Cuban-American, Raul Malo demonstrates a similar versatility as a vocalist and musician on Lucky One, his first album of original songs since Today in 2001.
Malo and co-producer Steve Berlin of Los Lobos showcase the former’s singing prowess over the disc’s dozen songs, which range from the buoyant, horn-driven title track to the jazzy seduction of “Ready For My Lovin'”.
As a singer, Malo has been inspired by vocalists across the musical spectrum, but he manages to retain his individuality. With echoes of Roy Orbison, Malo virtually defines heartbreak with “Crying For You”. More subtly, his elongated “well” at the beginning of “Hello Again” evokes memories of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout”.
Dating back to tenure as lead singer with the Mavericks, Malo has refused to pigeonhole himself as an artist. He incorporates Cuban rhythms on “Moonlight Kiss” and cleverly utilizes backing vocalists as a Greek chorus to temper his romantic optimism. The mournful “Rosalie” has the feel of a dramatic show-stopper from a Broadway musical. Malo shoulders a big part of the instrumentation, playing lead guitar throughout and turning in some Eddie Cochran-style licks on “Lonely Hearts”. He also chips in on bass, drums, keyboards, percussion and even theremin.
Raul Malo performs “Hello Again” as part of a songwriters-circle gig on the 2009 Sandy Beach Cruise.