Jazz Musicians Lionel Loueke And Raul Midón Defy The Odds

By John Roos, Patch Contributor

Lionel Loueke and Raul Midón have carved out vastly different but equally successful careers as jazz musicians. Perhaps the most striking similarity, though, between the two men is how far each has come in spite of seemingly overwhelming odds.

As a teenager in Benin, West Africa, Loueke couldn’t afford to buy proper guitar strings so he learned to play using bicycle brake cables as strings. At 17, he picked up his older brother’s guitar and began playing Afro-pop in hotel lobbies while learning to play the traditional West African string music he enjoyed hearing on local radio. At 21, and after three years of saving money from his hotel gigs, Loueke left Cotonou for the Ivory Coast Conservatoire to study classical music and musicology. In 1994, he further pursued his jazz studies at the American School of Modern Music in Paris before earning a scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Midón (pronounced Moo-d'orh) was born prematurely in a rural hospital in Embudo, New Mexico, to parents of Argentine and African-American descent. Sadly, Midón and his twin brother Marco were blind as infants after spending time in an incubator without adequate eye protection. Midón learned how to play guitar while performing in educational programs at a school for the blind, then at Santa Fe Preparatory School while completing his last two years of high school in 1984. Midón then attended the University of Miami, where he studied jazz and graduated in 1990.

Since those early does of learning theory and then honing their craft, Midón and Loueke have emerged as well-respected, frequently sought-after players on the contemporary jazz scene.

Midón’s background points to a wide variety of musical influences. A lover of melody and rhythm, the singer-songwriter-guitarist absorbed everything from John Coltrane and the Latin jazz craze of the 1990’s to the soulful pop elegance of Stevie Wonder and singer-songwriter craft of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and Steely Dan.

Midón has recorded with Nana Mouskouri, Mercedes Sosa, Chayanne, Julio Iglesias, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Herbie Hancock, Queen Latifah, Snoop Dogg, and Bill Withers, among others. Now an acclaimed solo artist based in Maryland after many years in New York City, Midón uses his lovely tenor to express feelings of longing, love and heartache.

“My focus for subject matter is on the universal feelings that everyone experiences,” said Midón, 53, during a recent phone interview. “It’s also important musically to create something memorable, whether it’s a catchy hook or irresistible rhythm. I want to write something that I want to listen to, not necessarily to be a commercial success.”

“I think the best songs are those that dig below the conscious mind,” he continued, “that leave things to the imagination. You don’t have to know literally what a song is saying. Great songs allow people to find their own meaning and interpretation.”

Midón, whose last two albums-- 2017’s “Bad Ass and Blind” and last year’s collaboration with the Metropole Orkest titled “If You Really Want”-- were both nominated for Grammy Awards in the Best Vocal Jazz category, refuses to let his blindness become a crutch or rationale to not fully pursue his dreams.

“Everyone has things that are hard to do,” he said. “Everybody has disabilities, some just aren’t as visible. If you’re blind, you can still mold your work for your benefit. Just don’t be afraid to ask for the help you may need . . . . . and don’t take the support you get for granted.”

After playing on two albums by Terrance Blanchard, singer-songwriter-guitarist Loueke released his debut album, “Karibu,” which includes contributions from jazz giants Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, on Blue Note Records in 2008. (He has also toured in Hancock’s band for more than 10 years.) Working primarily as a trio with bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth, Loueke’s unique style emerged, playing a blend of African stringed music, jazz, funk and pop. His new release, “The Journey,” speaks to the refugees and migrants of his West African homeland and ends with a moving, a capella selection titled “The Healing.”

You don’t emigrate to another country if everything is going well in yours,” said Loueke, 46, in a separate interview. “You do it because you want to either study, or to survive. When there is hope, there is life. You don’t decide to cross the Mediterranean Sea with your family in a small boat for fun. If (politicians) really want to fix the problem, go fix it at the source and treat people with respect, dignity and humanity.”

Loueke finds his true calling in the power of discovery. Two years ago, the Australian, chordless quartet the Vampires invited Loueke to collaborate on their recording, “The Vampires Meet Lionel Loueke” (Earshift Music). The genre-hopping, experimental Vampires found their match in Loueke, who refuses to limit himself to the easy or well-traveled path.

“Jazz is an adventure where it takes courage to go to new territories all the time and find your way out,” suggested Loueke. “The fun part for me is in the unknown and that’s also where the challenging part is because when I start playing, I don’t know where the music will take me. The Vampires are not afraid to cross boundaries and step out of their comfort zone. It was a great session full of surprises.”

This Sunday evening's performance of Raul Midón and Lionel Loueke at the Museum of Making Music (MoMM) will feature separate solo sets by each musician, followed by a closing jam with them performing as a duo. What can the audience anticipate from this unique double-bill and collaboration?

“I have been a fan of Raul’s playing for years so when I was asked to do this tour with him, I didn’t hesitate for a second,” declared Loueke, who also plans to tour again next year with pal Herbie Hancock. “We both are guitarists and singers with different approaches to our way of playing and singing. The audience will hear I believe something way different than a regular guitar duo.”

*Raul Midón and Lionel Loueke perform Sunday at the Museum of Making Music (MoMM), 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad; (760) 438-5996. 7 p.m. $35. www.museumofmakingmusic.org.