Raul Malo: "You're Only Lonely"

Nashville, TN / New York, NY May 4, 2006 Former Mavericks frontman Raul Malo kicks off his summer tour this Saturday night with a show at Cleveland's legendary Beachland Ballroom in support of his highly-anticipated second solo CD, to be released July 25th on Sanctuary Records.

Titled You're Only Lonely, the album pairs Raul Malo with producer Peter Asher (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel) and delivers the listener a timeless collection of some of Malo's favorite compositions, along with one original.

Recording some of his favorite songs for no reason other than the joy of singing them allows Malo, an accomplished songwriter in his own right, to take his place among some of the greatest song interpreters in contemporary music. Malo's soaring vocals, paired with Asher's unimpeachable ear and reputation for making significant and lasting recordings, ensure that every song that made the record, no matter how familiar, sounds unique and new.

In addition to the title track, JD Souther's "You're Only Lonely," the eleven-song CD includes a fearless cover of the Etta James classic "At Last," Sam Coslow's "Tomorrow Night," (previously covered by heavyweights Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and, once again, Etta James), and Randy Newman's "Feels Like Home" (with guest vocals by Martina McBride). Nestled seamlessly among these and other classics is the Malo-penned original, "For You," a joyous Latin-flavored composition that ties this collection in with many of his best-loved previous recordings.

You're Only Lonely follows Malo's acclaimed 2001 solo debut, Today, and 2003's The Mavericks, the band's long-awaited reunion album. One of Nashville's most respected creative talents, Malo led The Mavericks on an extraordinary run, earning Grammy, CMA, and ACM Awards and racking up album sales in the millions. Raised in Miami by Cuban emigre parents, Malo is also well-known as a writer and producer (Rick Trevino, K.T. Oslin) and has recently served as Musical Director for several specials on CMT: Country Music Television.

Malo will spend the better part of the summer touring in support of You're Only Lonely, accompanied by a simple piano-bass-drum trio, each night delivering an eclectic mix of personal and fan favorites, beautifully performed and extremely diverse. The set includes selections from the new album, along with stunning acoustic renditions of several of the best-loved songs from The Mavericks' catalog--his signature hits "What A Crying Shame," "Dance The Night Away," "Here Comes The Rain" and "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down." Cool, torchy and eclectic, the show is just as likely to feature Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual," as the Cuban standards "Guantanamera" and "Siboney," then follow with Merle Haggard's "Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down" or Rodgers and Hart's "Blue Moon."