Bob Malone }-- Reviews

The Gumbo Pot restaurant in L.A.’s venerable Farmer’s Market would seem an ideal backdrop for an afternoon with Bob Malone. Everything about this colorful artist — from his stride-influenced piano chops to his gravelly Dixie growl — seems to point toward the Crescent City. But sounds are deceiving; Malone is actually from New Jersey. He’s spent a number of years in Los Angeles, although he has lived for extended periods in New York, and yes, New Orleans too.

"New York and New Orleans are the only cities where they have pianos in every club," Malone intones over a bowl of gumbo. "In New York because no one wants to carry any gear, and in New Orlean because there are so many piano players."

This seasoned road warrior has toured with the Neville Brothers, opened for the Rev. Al Green and Manhattan Transfer, and performed at countless festivals including Kerrville and Falcon Ridge. His experience certainly shows: Malone is an electrifying live performer, having learned how to drop the proverbial hammer as an opening act. "They don’t want to hear the opening act. But you can win them over," he insists.

Most often Malone traverses a cross-continental road, performing 150 dates a year as a headlining artist in concert venues that seat anywhere from 50 to 500 patrons. "Doing those rooms is my biggest impetus to tour," he states. Malone’s two previous Delta Moon/Chartmaker releases, The Darkest Part of the Night and Bob Malone, combined with his relentless touring schedule, have earned the tenacious troubadour a national audience and a sheaf of kudos.

His latest, Like it Or Not, decants Malone’s well-marinated vocals into a sterling vessel of songs. On the cover, hands-up with his watch chain and cigar, Malone appears every inch the ornery, hard-living outsider. Songs like "Moderation," "Sometimes I Wish I Were Me" and "Just ‘Cause I Sing The Blues (Don’t Mean I Want To)" certainly extend this metaphor. But there’s another side to Malone that displays a kinder, more innocent perspective.

"It was new love on an Autumn day
It was Central Park with the city out to play
And there was something in the air
It just swept our hearts away
Man, it was New York, what else do I have to say?"

Like it Or Not, with a crack horn section and lustrous strings, is an auspicious outing that belies Malone’s independent status. Given his impressive sales figures and touring visibility, it would seem that signing with a major label could take him up to the next level. "I’ve come very close a lot of times," he confesses. "I don’t know if this will change with the new record, but I’ve had a problem with classification. They’re not sure what it is or what to do with it. That’s the reason I’ve been independent; it’s not by choice."

Independence is not for the lazy. Malone books his shows, handles the promo, sets up the interviews and drives the van. He even chronicles his road adventures via vivid prose on his site (bobmalone.com) and he’s contributing to a new book, Working Musicians, due this fall from Harper Collins.

Selling CDs on the road accounts for half of Malone’s income. "When I first started touring a lot of the gigs didn’t pay. I was opening for acts in cool rooms where I got seen and I’d put on a good enough show that everyone would buy my record. I’d go into some freebie gig and make $300 in sales. I lived off of that. It was the last step of turning me into a strong live act. Desperation is a wonderful motivator."

Prior to the road gigs, Malone admits he spent time sitting around in L.A. awaiting a magic record deal. "I was doing top 40 gigs, shit I hated. I finally said, ‘I’m not going to do this.’ You can’t be taken seriously as an artist and then go play cover tunes six nights a week. They can smell it on you. Audiences know; you have to be that guy, the artist. It all changed for me when I decided not to do that anymore — I was taken seriously."