Exclusive: Raul Midón (USA)

Raul Midón - guitar, vocal, piano. 

Two-time Grammy nominee Raul Midón returns.

In 2023, he held two sold-out concerts at Jazz Cellar 11, astonishing the audience with his talent, energy, creativity, and musicianship. This time – only one concert with just 60 ticketsavailable. Only 60 lucky listeners will get to see and hear up close what others experience from the… nineteenth row at the biggest festivals.

Blind singer, songwriter, and guitarist Raul Midón is an incredibly prolific creator. His thirteenth and latest album Lost & Found is what he himself calls a mix of “smooth folk,” “alt-pop,” and “jazz.” He is a true master of blending genres – “his music recalls a synthesis of Stevie Wonder, Bobby McFerrin, and José Feliciano,” wrote The New York Times.

For Lithuanian jazz lovers, this is a special opportunity. This talented singer, songwriter, and guitarist, well known on the jazz scene, returns with his latest, already thirteenth, album Lost & Found. 

Raul Midón, who can stand alongside the best jazz performers, will present both his newest works and long-beloved hits. His new album The Mirror is full of innovative musical ideas. 

The title track Lost & Found, which Midón describes as “smooth folk,” was written in the early days of his career. Its lyrics were inspired by reading Bob Dylan’s poem Last Thoughts On Woody Guthrie. The song When We Remember carries a touch of country music, with Raul himself playing the banjo. He could have invited Béla Fleck, but this time chose to trust himself – recording it in his home basement studio. For that, Raul had to learn the subtleties of sound engineering. Unfortunately, technologies adapted for the blind are not always consistent, making it an ongoing challenge he still faces. He was supported by New York sound engineer Michael O’Reilly, whom he first met while creating his debut album State of Mind with the legendary producer Arif Mardin. Since then, Raul and “Mike” have recorded many albums together, including the Grammy-nominated Bad Ass and Blind. 

During the pandemic lockdown, Raul fulfilled a long-time dream – recording a guitar duets album with some of his favorite guitarists: Mike Stern, Dean Parks, Lionel Loueke, Julia Bailen, Stephane Wrembel, Alex Cuba, and others. Popular Letterman bassist Will Lee said of the album: “Eclectic Adventurist is a journey full of surprises, delighting at every step with great performance and meticulous recording.” A limited edition of this album is now available on vinyl. 

Raul has collaborated with many music legends – Bill Withers, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Terence Blanchard, Dianne Reeves, and others. In 2022, he was invited to honor his idol Joni Mitchell together with the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vince Mendoza, at The Kennedy Center, alongside Lalah Hathaway, Jimmie Herrod, and Renée Fleming (PBS Next at the Kennedy Center). 

He has earned two consecutive Grammy nominations – in 2017 and 2018 – for his albums Bad Ass and Blind and If You Really Want in the category of Best Jazz Vocal Album. In 2019, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Miami, and in 2021, he was honored with the Disability Rights Ambassador of the Year Award, presented to him by fellow artist Jason Mraz. 

The first 30 tickets – at the cheapest price.

The Jazz Cellar 11 club’s “Dainykla” project is partially funded by the Vilnius City Municipality.