Raul Midón: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

March 15, 2018 | Felix Contreras -- Raul Midón lives in a world of sound — blind since birth, Midón's interpretation of his surroundings is borderless. He sings with the passion of the best classic soul singers, and his instrumental chops stand along side the most accomplished jazz musicians.

Normally backed by a band that straddles styles just as well as he does, for his turn behind Bob Boilen's desk Midón stripped it down to just voice and guitar, the musical equivalent of tightrope walking without a net.

You could choose any of the songs he performed, listen on repeat and continuously discover layers of musicality — the nuance of a bent note in his vocals, a burst of perfectly placed guitar notes.

Raul Midón has the respect of the most well-known and accomplished musicians in music, names like Stevie Wonder and George Benson. And, for a too-brief moment, we were lucky enough to hold us all enthralled, too.

Now it's your turn! Enjoy.

Set List

"Gotta Gotta Give"
"Sound Shadow"
"If Only"
"Bad Ass and Blind"
"Mi Amigo Cubano"
MUSICIANS
Raul Midón

CREDITS
Producers: Felix Contreras, Morgan Noelle Smith; Creative Director: Bob Boilen; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Beck Harlan; Production Assistant: Joshua Bote; Photo: Jenna Sterner/NPR.