Raul Midon

Along with his 11 studio albums as a solo artist, Mid��n �C dubbed ��an eclectic adventurist�� by People magazine �C has collaborated with such heroes as Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers, along with contributing to records by Queen Latifah and Snoop Dogg and the soundtrack to Spike Lee��s She Hate Me. A native of New Mexico who now lives in Maryland after years in New York, Mid��n has earned acclaim the world over, with a fanbase that stretches from San Francisco to India, Amsterdam to Tokyo. Marveling over his live performances, The New York Times has called Mid��n ��a one-man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus.�� He recently performed in a special Homecoming Week music series at his alma mater, the University of Miami��s Frost School of Music

Sarah Vaughan, G. Thomas Allen, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Billy Eckstine and More!

by Jua Howard
July 28, 2025

Greetings Music Family! It's time for another episode of the “First Instrument Jazz Show!" I've got new music from The DIVA Jazz Orchestra with Ann Hampton Callaway, Nnenna Freelon, Benny Benack III, Emma Smith and Kieran Brown, and more timeless music from Sarah Vaughan, Billy Eckstine, Cecile McLorin Salvant, G. Thomas Allen, Kate McGarry, Take 6 ...

The Vision of Raul Mid��n

by Leo Sidran
April 11, 2025

Raul Midón is a man who sees with sound. Blind since infancy, he has made a life--and a formidable body of work--guided by his ears, his intuition, and his insistence on carving his own path. To speak with Raul is to be reminded that perception is far more than a function of the eyes. ...

Lizz Wright, Raul Midon, Samara Joy, Alyssa Allgood and More

by Jua Howard
January 16, 2025

Happy New Year Music Family! It's time for the first episode of the “First Instrument Jazz Show" in 2025! I'm focusing this particular show on some of my favorite music released in 2024. I thought it was a beautiful way to pay tribute to the music of last year before we move too far into 2025. ...

Carmen McRae, Bobby McFerrin, Saje, and More

by Jua Howard
November 4, 2024

Welcome Music Family! It's time for another episode of the “First Instrument Jazz Show"! As usual, I've got a great show in store for you including new music from MeShell NdegeOcello, Raul Midon, Kristin Korb, Luis Giraldo; and timeless music from Carmen McRae, Bobby McFerrin, Saje, Peter Eldridge, Somi; and many more. Come get lost in ...

Raul Midon at An Die Musik LIVE

by Matt Hooke
October 18, 2023

Raul Midon performed a solo set at An Die Musik LIVE in Baltimore on October 11, 2023 that showcased his artistic versality and ability to create a compelling show without a backing band. Midon's songwriting prowess showed throughout the evening as he transitioned from funk influenced songs to a Joni Mitchell inspired piano ballad. effortlessly. A ...

The Ditties: Finding Freedom in Swing

by Matthew Vasiliauskas
May 15, 2023

When asked what interested her about the jazz art form, Nina Simone responded, “I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about. But jazz is dedicated to freedom, and that is far more important." Typically, what drives an artist's ambition, is the desire to hold mastery over ...

43rd Annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland

by C. Andrew Hovan
July 7, 2022

Part 1 | Part 2 43rd Annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland Playhouse SqaureCleveland, Ohio June 23-25, 2022 Not quite ten years ago in 2014, the Tri-C JazzFest morphed from a spring event held largely on campus to a summer happening in downtown Cleveland's Playhouse Square. Like with most festivals, the ...

Cleveland's Tri-C Jazz Fest Returns to Playhouse Square in 2022

March 21, 2022

At Cleveland's Tri-C Jazz Fest, everything new is old again. That might sound retrogressive in a culture that valorizes novelty, but the announcement that the 43rd edition of the festival will return to the historic theaters of Playhouse Square is instead a comforting, Biden-era byword after the disruptions of the past two years.

Passion Flower: The Music of Billy Strayhorn

By John di Martino

Label: Sunnyside Records
Released: 2020
Track listing: Johnny Come Lately; Lush Life; Rain Check; Star-Crossed Lovers (Pretty Girl); Isfahan (Elf); Chelsea Bridge; Daydream; Passion Flower; U.M.M.G.; Blood Count; Take The A Train; A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing; Absinthe (Lament For An Orchid); Lotus Blossom.