Guitarist Raul Midón plays outside the jazz box

Guitarist Raul Midón pulls from several styles and influences. Although jazz is his number one passion (he stole a Charlie Parker record from his dad as a kid, and has been hooked ever since), he’s also inspired by pop and rock artists, like Jason Mraz and the Who.

“I made a choice when I moved to New York City, that I didn’t want to live like that,” said Midón about the jazz lifestyle at the time. “So, I chose to incline myself more to writing.”

He took inspiration from artists like Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell and others who incorporate jazz and other music into their art.

As a blind musician, Midón said he doesn’t subscribe to the notion that blindness gives you an advantage when it comes to music.

“The only thing blindness gives you is the lack of choices to do anything else. It does focus you, simply because you don’t have the choice to wait tables or pump gas to supplement your music career.”