Once a Maverick, Always a Maverick

Even though he's no longer a member of the great alt-country band, The Mavericks, Raul Malo can, unquestionably, still be considered one.

One good listen to his eclectic new record, "Sinners & Saints," proves Malo's maverick spirit is still strong. Beginning with a flourish of mariachi horns, the disc also nods to country music, the 'Border Wave' sound, rock & roll, folk.

Tired of the rigidity of radio, where stations bombard you with similar songs from the same tired genre? Don't miss Mr. Malo, when he plays the Fairfield Theatre Co. Sunday night.

"I'm really proud of the new record, even if I don't know where it fits in the musical landscape," Malo said recently. "But that was true of The Mavericks, too. I mean, I'm from Miami, I have Cuban roots and I grew up listening to everything from the Zarzuela (a Spanish musical form incorporating sung-and-spoken sections) to The Stones to country music. I've always done what I wanted and been amazed when it's proven popular."

A strange and wondrous record, 'Sinners' could easily grab such a a sizable audience, too. Especially, if these people start thinking of their heads as free-form radio stations where all kinds of cool, colorful sounds are welcome. Folks, it's been Top 40 in your minds long enough.

The new record's version of "'Til I Gain Control Again," written by pantheon-bound tunesmith Rodney Crowell, holds particular resonance for Malo.

"Of course, I really love the song and its lyric about getting through hard times, but Rodney is someone I'm generally indebted to. Back when The Mavericks were just getting started, I wasn't sure if our various strains of music would work together. We were all a bit downhearted about it during our early rehearsals. Then, one night, I went to see Rodney play. His band had a similar mix of country, hard rock, Latin and other elements. When I saw it work for Crowell, I knew we could figure it all out, too."

Then there's the bouncy Border Wave sound of "Saint Behind The Glass," redolent of the great Sir Douglas Quintet and the funky Farfisa sound of their keyboard player, Augie Meyers. And well, there's a good reason for that: It's Meyers himself, playing on the song.

"I knew I had to use Augie on that track, no question," said Malo. "Partly, because I love his sound. But also, he was quite ill last year with kidney problems. I'm not trying to be morbid, but you don't know how long these great players are going to be around. So, I thought, I better ask him to play with me before it's too late."

The title song is also something of a surprise, a wild ride that might be termed Mexican Surf Rock. It features a brassy trumpet and electric guitar (heavy on the whammy bar) and a gutsy, passionate vocal by Malo. Who mentions that the tune just came about because of his "various early influences," plus, his conscious decision to not worry about "what's cool and what's not." Which also accounts for much of the new record's anything-goes mix.

By using great players, choosing classic songs and following his muse, Malo also claims the new record is something of a statement, almost as important for its social awareness as for its sounds.

"The music scene is really hard to relate to these days," Malo said. "It's either so much about demographics, aiming certain kinds of music at certain kids, or there's stuff that's just unlistenable. Not long ago, I was at a Japanese restaurant and this stuff started playing on the sound system. It had no melody, no groove, no recognizable instruments and the only human sound was a voice, just grunting. It was the most depressing thing I've ever heard."

Malo insists he's not against "The New" in music; it just needs to be made for the right reasons. Which probably means no grunting.

"Hey, I grew up listening to AM pop radio and Cuban music and even in the '90s, I really dug what Biggie was doing, because it was human and musical. I think that's what you can say about 'Sinners & Saints.' Real people made it. And we better hear more stuff like this, whatever the genre, as long as it comes from the heart. If not, I don't know, man. I think musicians are going to be classified as an endangered species."

INFORMATION: Raul Malo will be at the Fairfield Theatre Co. (Stage One) at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 17. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $47. Members save $10. For information, call (203) 259-1036.