Bob Malone ~ A Artist Without Boundaries....
Bob Malone
A normal day for me starts with me logging onto Martini in The Morning to listen to songs from the Great American Songbook. A year ago what I saw on "Martini Vision" was anything but normal. Anyone who knows me knows I have a thing for pianists (okay, piano men) so when I logged in and saw that Jonny Blu was in the studio and accompanied by Bob Malone I knew I was in for a real treat. In other interviews Jonny has credited Bob Malone for his great arrangements and for playing the piano on his new tracks. While I loved hearing Jonny sing, thanks to Martini Vision I also got to watch Bob wail on the keys. He isn't a gentle player...he plays with an intensity that even over my tiny computer screen I found compelling.
Six months later I was lucky to see them perform together in L.A. at Vibratos, Herb Alpert's night club. It was an amazing night. Jonny was on fire and I couldn't keep my eyes of Bob's hands. The two of them make one hell of a team. After the show I found Bob and asked him if he had any of his CD's with him. Since it was technically Jonny's show Bob hadn't planned to sell any of his albums but since we were asking he ran out to his car and brought some in. I bought three that night and listen to them the whole way back to Ohio. He is an incredible songwriter and singer. I have a hard time defining his sound. I've called it blues, saloon style, and New Orleans jazz....I've come to the conclusion that his style is uniquely his own.
Six months later I was lucky to see them perform together in L.A. at Vibratos, Herb Alpert's night club. It was an amazing night. Jonny was on fire and I couldn't keep my eyes of Bob's hands. The two of them make one hell of a team. After the show I found Bob and asked him if he had any of his CD's with him. Since it was technically Jonny's show Bob hadn't planned to sell any of his albums but since we were asking he ran out to his car and brought some in. I bought three that night and listen to them the whole way back to Ohio. He is an incredible songwriter and singer. I have a hard time defining his sound. I've called it blues, saloon style, and New Orleans jazz....I've come to the conclusion that his style is uniquely his own.
Bob Malone recently tweeted "rocked the house in front of 500 Parisians, and broke 3 black keys off the piano...it's not a good show if you don't leave a little blood on the stage!" I haven't seen Bob play his own music live yet (February 13th needs to hurry up and get here) but based on that single tweet I expect to be blown away. I didn't know those keys could break.
Bob grew up in New Jersey and started playing the piano at nine. Within a year he could play anything put in front of him and dreamed of being a classical pianist. Billy Joel being played over the speakers in Sears made him change his mind. Since then he has doing his own thing and playing in rock bands. With a gravelly voice reminiscent of Tom Waits or Dr. John, and lyrics that range from amusing to gut wrenching Bob Malone is a force to be reckoned with.
When asked to describe himself he said "I am a musician, in it for life. Rich or poor this is who I am. I find genres and classifications distasteful, and they only get in the way of making great music. I am mostly an artist without boundaries." His distaste of genres is evident in his music. His sound is impossible to pin down. It wouldn't be wrong to say its New York Jazz/Memphis Soul/Chicago blues/New Orleans Honky-tonk/California Fusion but you'd be missing the point. Bob Malone creates music that is relevant to what life has thrown his way on any given day. The whole of the human experience is represented.
Bob grew up in New Jersey and started playing the piano at nine. Within a year he could play anything put in front of him and dreamed of being a classical pianist. Billy Joel being played over the speakers in Sears made him change his mind. Since then he has doing his own thing and playing in rock bands. With a gravelly voice reminiscent of Tom Waits or Dr. John, and lyrics that range from amusing to gut wrenching Bob Malone is a force to be reckoned with.
When asked to describe himself he said "I am a musician, in it for life. Rich or poor this is who I am. I find genres and classifications distasteful, and they only get in the way of making great music. I am mostly an artist without boundaries." His distaste of genres is evident in his music. His sound is impossible to pin down. It wouldn't be wrong to say its New York Jazz/Memphis Soul/Chicago blues/New Orleans Honky-tonk/California Fusion but you'd be missing the point. Bob Malone creates music that is relevant to what life has thrown his way on any given day. The whole of the human experience is represented.
My good friend Jeanie Mackinder took these great shots of Bob Malone
at the National Folk Festival held at the
Exhibition Park in Canberra 4/2/10 & 4/4/10.
Bob Malone ~ Butterfly
Links for Bob Malone
Bob Malone & Renee Safier ~ One For My Baby
Bob Malone's Blog
Bob Malone ~
Ain't What You Know
Fun Facts about
Bob Malone
Birthdate:
December 2
Favorite Book:
Letters from the Earth by Mark Twain
Favorite Season:
Autumn
1st album purchase:
Beethoven's 6th Symphony
December 2
Favorite Book:
Letters from the Earth by Mark Twain
Favorite Season:
Autumn
1st album purchase:
Beethoven's 6th Symphony
Photo by J. Mackinder
Photo by J Mackinder
Photo by J. Mackinder