The Mavericks
Trampoline

The Mavericks are a country-rock band that emerged in the late eighties in Miami, Florida. From their early beginnings, the Mavericks have always been appreciated for their musical style, a skillful fusion of traditional country and rock'n'roll combined with the Cuban cultural roots of their leader and lead singer Raul Malo. The group started performing, gaining experience through a lengthy period, in Miami's local venues, and only in the fall of 1990 did they release their first work, "The Mavericks," an album made up of Malo's original songs, which caught the attention of several record labels in Nashville, the home of country music. This is the point where the Mavericks' career experienced a significant leap in quality.

Following that debut record, which went unnoticed by the mainstream audience, came the adrenaline-charged "From Hell To Paradise" in 1992, an album highly praised by critics. It has the merit of containing a batch of excellent compositions with lyrics in which Malo addresses themes that greatly diverge from the typical Nashville productions. However, the albums that established the Mavericks' commercial success are others. "What A Crying Shame" from 1994 and "Music For All Occasions" from 1995, are two successful works full of great songs performed with skill and talent. These were the years when US radio played tracks like "There Goes My Heart", "Here Comes The Rain", "All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down", "Foolish Heart". These are the pieces that introduced Raul Malo's truly splendid voice, perfectly balanced between that of Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison, to the world. Besides the unique voice of the leader, it's worth highlighting the great work of the rest of the band, especially the fantastic rhythm section formed by Paul Deakin and Robert Reynolds, showcased in the beautiful live album "It's Now! It's Live!".

"Trampoline" was released in 1998 and marked a revolution for the Mavericks. It is a breakthrough album but also maintains continuity with what the band produced in the past. It is groundbreaking because Malo and company decided to move away from traditional country-rock, focusing more on a style that brilliantly mixes pop and Latin rhythms. Continuity is assured by the increasingly personal and cohesive sound. "Trampoline" is an album of total music in which Raul Malo finally lets his creativity explode without setting cultural limits or boundaries. Throughout its duration, the album spans a myriad of styles and musical genres ranging from country-rock to Tex-Mex, from mambo to cha cha cha, from Latin music to cabaret, from gospel to soul. All of this is, of course, supported by Malo's beautiful voice, capable of updating the style of two greats like Elvis and Orbison. The rest is done by the songs. From the successful single "Dance The Night Away" to the plea of "Fool No.1", from the ballad "To Be With You" to the retro "Dolores", from the powerful "Tell Me Why" to the sweet "Dream River" placed at the close of a rich and intelligent work that deserves to be reassessed.