November 2000

It's the news Mavericks fans have long been awaiting, and if all goes well, Raul Malo will sign a deal for his solo record in the very near future. "There's nothing yet that I can confirm; there are certainly several offers that I'm entertaining at the moment," says Raul. "But I'd say that by December, we should have a deal." For now, the focus of the deal will be on Raul's solo efforts only. "Definitely my priority is to get my project done first and then I'm going to worry about the band's contract," says Raul.

Once an actual contract exists, a record will follow shortly thereafter, and to that end Raul has been busy writing and recording demos of new material for his long-awaited "Spanish" album. Will the record be a compilation of songs all in Spanish, songs in English with a Latin flavor, or a combination of both? The answer could be any one of the above, according to Raul. "Once we have a deal firmed up, then we'll sit down with the record company and see what they want to do," he says. "Obviously, I have material for more than one album. I can do one all in Spanish, one in English, or I can mix them."

Along with writing and recording demos of his new material, Raul has been quite busy these days recording songs for tribute albums and other side projects, as well as producing other artists, including KT Oslin and Rick Trevino. The latter emerged during the mid 90's as one of the first popular Latino singers in country music since Freddy Fender and Johnny Rodriguez were having hits in the mid-70's. "Rick still tours and plays but he hasn't had a deal in a while," says Raul. "He was on the Sony label and had some success. He's a really good singer and just a real good guy. He was really young when he had his record deal and was led astray by too many people. But he's matured and his voice has really come a long way and he has a more clear cut vision of what he wants to do. So I've been writing with him and we're doing some demos and hopefully he'll get back on his feet again." Raul is collaborating on the as-yet untitled project with executive producer Paul Worley (producer for the Dixie Chicks and Neil Diamond's Tennessee Moon CD).

Production on the KT Oslin project is progressing nicely and Raul and KT have just recently finished recording the last two songs for her album. Like Rick Trevino, KT has not had any new material released in recent years, and her fans are anxiously awaiting her forthcoming CD, currently scheduled for a spring 2001 release on the RCA Record label.

Raul has thoroughly enjoyed stepping into his role as producer on these projects. "I love trying to find the best combination of musicians for songs and working out the arrangements," he says. "I'll bring in the musicians and either give them a little bit of direction or just get out of the way and let them do whatever they want. That's part of the fun of it. Sometimes producers want to stick their noses into everything that everybody's doing, but I find that keeping your mouth shut can be the best producing you can do."

According to Raul, KT is full of great ideas and they often bounce ideas off each other. "KT is very, very good at what she does," Raul says. "She's so secure of herself and knowledgeable about who she is, that it really makes it very easy to work with her.  Plus, she is one of the funniest people I know, and it makes for a great working environment."

Although KT has basically been the main songwriter for the project, she and Raul have collaborated on several songs, including the upbeat rocker "Live Close By" and a ballad entitled "Maybe We Should Learn To Tango", on which Raul also sings harmony. The CD will also include some cover songs and a song KT has co-written with Michael Smotherman, a songwriter whose work has been recorded by the likes of Brooks & Dunn, Ray Charles and Bonnie Raitt.

Multi-talented Scotty Huff (from the Havana Horns) has been responsible for all the horn arrangements on the CD. His horn arrangements are featured on the songs "Live Close By", "Mexico Road" and "What Is This Thing Called Love", the latter featuring what Raul describes as "a beautiful muted trumpet solo" played by Scotty.

Stylistically, Raul describes KT's sound on this record as being very Americana and pop-oriented, more along the lines of something Tina Turner might do as opposed to the kind of sound associated with The Mavericks. This is readily apparent in the high-octane, soulful sound of "Live Close By", which appears to have all the makings of a radio hit. According to Raul, "KT is very soulful and this record definitely has a soulful element to it. "

Although plans for a springtime promotional tour are incomplete, fans can probably expect to see Raul doing press and television appearances in support of the project. "I don't know that KT's going to go out and tour," says Raul, " but she'll probably do Letterman, Leno, Regis, all the talk shows and I'll do whatever they need me to do to promote this record." 

Moving from the small screen to the big screen, Raul is expected to make his motion picture debut in the film All The Pretty Horses, which is due out in movie theaters in the US on December 25. In this western based on the critically-acclaimed, lyrical novel by Cormac McCarthy and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, Matt Damon plays a 40's - era Texan cowboy who travels to Mexico and falls in love with a wealthy rancher's daughter, played by actress Penelope Cruz. Raul has a small role as a bandleader during a sequence in which the two stars of the movie have their first encounter at a dance.  

For the film, Raul, Dennis Britt and Daniel Lanois collaborated on a Spanish love song entitled "Porque Tu Me Lloras Asi" (Why Do You Cry Like That?) that the band performs during the sequence. While Raul cannot say for certain whether he's made the final cut of the movie ("anything is possible in Hollywood," he says), the promotional trailer for the film currently being shown in movie theaters does feature a shot from the dance sequence. It appears likely that moviegoers will at least catch a glimpse of him in the movie … just don't blink during that dance scene! According to Raul, there is no word yet on whether a soundtrack album will be released for the film.

Other projects Raul has been working on include contributions to a forthcoming Los Super Seven project, a collection of Spanish songs on which members of Los Lobos have collaborated with other musicians. Raul recorded two tracks during recent sessions for the project in Los Angeles, including a stunning cover of a song entitled "Siboney". "That song was written by a famous Cuban composer named Ernesto Lecuona," says Raul. "He's like an Irving Berlin. His songs have been performed by all the greats - Nat King Cole, Sinatra, etc." "Siboney" combines a powerful vocal performance by Raul with an almost tribal-sounding percussion track; it has the feel of something one might have heard late at night in a smoky jazz club during the 1940's.

In early November, Badlands, a tribute to Bruce Springsteen's stark, brooding Nebraska album, was released on the Sub Pop Label. Appearing with a number of other artists including Johnny Cash, Los Lobos, and Chrissie Hynde, Raul's contribution to the project was the bonus track "Downbound Train" (a song which actually appeared on Springsteen's Born In The USA album but was written during the Nebraska sessions). While the song is heavy on lyrics and is rather unlike something Raul would typically sing, he still managed to make the song his own, though he admits it wasn't easy for him. "I'd been working on the song all day and I'd just about had it,"  says Raul. "I was exhausted and my throat was scratchy and dry.  The song had too much energy.  I'd tried everything else. I ended up singing it at about two in the morning.  The song had to be sung as if you didn't care because the song is like that, you know, you're worried about other things rather than the damn song.  That's kind of what I went for and it worked."

A huge Springsteen admirer, Raul has praised Bruce for being the kind of artist who does what he wants, fights for what he wants to do, goes against what's expected of him and does what he thinks in his heart is the best course of action to take.  Raul feels that this speaks volumes about an artist.

This very same philosophy has earned The Mavericks respect and adulation from their fans and critics alike over the years.  "I think certainly every artist has those intentions," says Raul.  "I think we all as artists try to do that. I try to be as honest with myself as I possibly can and just try to follow my instincts which so far for the most part, have never let me down, really.  That's not to say that I don't listen to advice or don't take any advice in.  I usually do and then I still make up my own mind." 

A true "Maverick" at heart, Raul has never been one to follow what everyone else out there is doing.  "What fun would That be?" he laughs.

Written by Lynn M Gagne
© Lynn M Gagne. Nov 2000

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2000
When the Mavericks were bestowed the honor of performing as the house band at the Johnny Cash Tribute last April, it gave them an opportunity to play with a star studded line-up of performers that included Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow and Dave Matthews - among others. It was at the Cash Tribute that the Mavericks and Dave Matthews got together and began thinking that the idea of doing a few shows together sometime might be fun. 

So in early August, the Mavericks opened for the Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge Amphitheatre outside of Seattle, Washington, performing their only three concert dates for the year 2000. 

"When the band is off the road, we dedicate ourselves to the things that are important to us personally," explains Robert Reynolds. "It could be family or songwriting or whatever side project we may be working on. But we've all found that we get very, very focused on the Mavericks once we're on the road." Although firing up and moving the Mavericks "machine" can be a complex task, it is one that Robert found extremely refreshing, especially after a long break. 

"For one thing, there's nothing more beautiful than the Gorge Amphitheatre as a venue," says Robert. "It is truly one of the most spectacular venues in the country, perhaps in the world. And Dave's people run one of the most fantastic organizations. Dave's a music lover and he wants his fans to understand him not only through the music he makes but also through the music he hosts during his concert day."

With an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 fans in attendance nightly, Robert found the crowds both attentive and respectful. "People took their seats quickly once we hit the stage. The thing that was so nice is that Dave introduced us on two of the three nights - the only reason he didn't on the second evening is that his vehicle was stuck in traffic on the way to the venue. In doing so, I think he automatically sets it up for the opening act to have the attention and respect of his audience and I really respect Dave for that," explains Robert. "It's all very casual, in keeping with the tone of his show in what I would call the modern day, contemporary hippy spirit. In all, a very groovy day of music." 

"The entire experience opening for the Dave Matthews Band was very gratifying for me and I think it was very invigorating for the band," Robert continues. "Aside from this being a wonderful trip, it had a lot of different meanings to it." 

With recent personnel changes within the band, the Gorge shows gave the Mavericks an opportunity to work with some different musicians. Replacing guitarist Nick Kane for this trip was Kenny Vaughan, well respected as a top notch, first-call session and road guitarist from Nashville, whose credits include session work with Kim Richey and Rodney Crowell among others (he's also made guest appearances with SWAG and appears on the new Trent Summar & the New Row Mob CD). Michael Lee, a keyboard player who possesses a good understanding of the Latin rhythms that are such an integral component of the band's sound, was brought in after doing session work with Raul. And for the Gorge shows, the Havana Horns were pared down to just two horns - Scotty Huff on trumpet and Doug Bernstein on Sax. 

"Doug and Scotty have this unspoken connection when it comes to music," says Robert. "They play beautifully together and they are a great team. They worked out these magical parts to replace the full brass section that we've been using to make the horns more of a coloring that would be shared with the piano and guitar. As for Kenny, he's unforgettable both musically and as a personality. He brings a dynamic like Jerry Dale brought to the band. Kenny stepped up to the edge of the stage and played like you can't believe. He simply breathed new life into the band."

While some of the song arrangements were altered a bit to allow Kenny and the horns to have more interplay, the nightly set lists weren't really altered much for the Dave Matthews fans. "Most of the set list was material from the past couple of years," explains Robert, "and we did the song "All I Get" because we thought it had a grooviness to it that the Dave Matthews fans might like." 

Regarding the fans' concerns about the Mavericks' current "hiatus" and recent changes within the band - Nick Kane's departure and the band leaving the Mercury Nashville label - Robert points out that it is quite common to see well established Rock & Roll bands, such as the Rolling Stones, take time off - even years at a time - while band mates go off to work independently on other projects before making their next record. Unfortunately, it happens too that band members eventually do go their separate ways. Sometimes parting ways is very much a part of a band going forward. 

"It's not pleasant to be a fan and follow a band for years and see changes," Robert sympathizes, "but had we not made a change within our band originally, Nick Kane never would have been with us to begin with. Nick wasn't our original guitar player and it was change that brought Nick to the fans."

"Bands are fragile and sometimes the changes we've undergone have been for self-preservation," Robert continues. "It's been a matter of changing so that we don't become obsolete or implode. It comes at times with a cost - in this case, the cost of a member that everybody's come to know and love. Nick is a life-long pal and I plan on working with him in the future on various projects. Hopefully, when SWAG records another record, he'll be among the guest guitar players that we'll bring in." 

As band member and record label changes make for very difficult times, "the organization from within has every intention of going forward," says Robert, "and we have certain things we want to do - and one of our priorities is to get Raul's solo project underway - which means getting it recorded, released and given the proper respect it needs to be given. It's not just Raul's goal - it has become the united goal of the Mavericks to get Raul's project underway. It is of the utmost importance to me and to us and I think it's the kind of support he needs from this band." 

Along with Raul's solo project, another of the Mavericks' priorities right now is to be signed with a record label that is outside of Nashville. "Conservatively, there are four or five labels that our management has brought to my attention that are all notable, powerful labels - and none of them are based in Nashville." 

"What happened on the stage at the Dave Matthews shows was what we believe could be in store for the Mavericks as we look at the next project, the next album and tour," says Robert. "It was very much like, if we breathe new life into it, it will reflect in the music and in the shows. So that is what our fans have to look forward to."

Article written by and copyright: Lynn M. Gagne

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By Robert Reynolds  2000

Thursday, September 7 (Buddy Holly's Birthday), while on tour in support of Kevin Montgomery's current release, we had the distinguished pleasure of being invited to attend and perform at Sir Paul McCartney's 25th Annual Buddy Holly Birthday Bash. As many Holly fans know, Kevin is the son of Bob Montgomery, Buddy's first pre-Crickets musical partner.

The anticipation of meeting Mr. McCartney was almost more than I could bear. For the past 10 years, as a member of The Mavericks, I have had numerous opportunities to meet and/or work with many of my favorite musicians. But I often lamented, "I've still never met a Beatle." So here I was, on the eve of fulfilling a lifelong dream.

To set the scene, our tour consisted of Paul Deakin, Pat Buchanan, Jeff Finlin, Kevin and myself. We arrived at the party dressed in our best tour attire - somewhat wrinkled, of course. We were shown upstairs where the cocktail party had already begun. You must know my eyes are darting about the room, wondering if he is there. But no sign of Paul. We all belly-up to the bar, get our first drinks, and exchange pleasantries with a few of the guests. Some 15 minutes into the evening I look up and catch my first in-person glimpse of a Beatle. He had entered the room without fanfare, casually dressed and seemingly, completely relaxed. I, however, was not. I was completely speechless. There he was, no more than 10 feet from me. After countless hours of my life spent listening to and watching the Beatles, one of them was right in front of me. 

Seconds later, Tony Bramwell, longtime Beatle associate, makes the introduction, "Paul, I'd like you to meet some friends of mine." And in classic Beatle humor, Paul responds, "Oh no, I'm not talking to that lot." Then we all moved in for that first handshake. Immediately, Paul is talking about Buddy Holly's influence on the Beatles, and particularly the effect on John and his need for eye glasses. I can't believe it. Paul is telling us stories I had read many times before. He then encourages us to enjoy the evening and continues to make his rounds.

The evening could have ended right there. IT happened. I met a Beatle. And yet, the night was young. There was still plenty of food, drinks and music ahead. We spent the next hour chatting with old friends and new, including some Mavericks' acquaintances. Slowly, we moved closer to the stage awaiting our turn to perform. When out of nowhere, Paul bounds up and does a couple of Holly tunes. This is like a little private McCartney concert and we're standing front and center. Two songs later, we're invited onstage to play. We start with Kevin and Pat singing "Wishing," a song Kevin's father co-wrote, and followed it with me singing "Not Fade Away." What a truly tremendous feeling, we're playing music for Paul McCartney, who is right in front of us bopping and grooving like a teenager. In the space of a song, everything for me has come full circle. And for a moment, the circle is complete ...

When we finished, Paul congratulated us with handshakes and hugs and a few good quips. We all expressed our thanks for the invitation, with hopes to do it again sometime and set off for the bar.

Driving out of London that night, heading for the next stop on the tour, sleep in the van was kind of dreamlike. I had to remind myself over and over - I MET A BEATLE.

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