Al Jarreau
Encyclopedia
Alwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau (born March 12, 1940) is a seven-time Grammy Award
winning jazz singer.
minister and singer, and his mother was a church pianist. He and his family sang together in church concerts and in benefits, and he and his mother performed at PTA
meetings.
He was student council
president and Badger Boys State
delegate for Lincoln High School
, going on to Ripon College
, where he also sang with a group called the Indigos. Jarreau graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. He went on to earn a master's degree
in vocational rehabilitation from the University of Iowa
, worked as a Rehabilitation Counselor in San Francisco and moonlighted with a jazz trio headed by George Duke
.
In 1967, he joined forces with acoustic guitarist Julio Martinez. The duo became the star attraction at a small Sausalito night club called Gatsby's. This success contributed to Jarreau's decision to make professional singing his life and full-time career.
hot spots as Dino's, The Troubadour, and Bitter End West. Television exposure came from Johnny Carson
, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin
, Dinah Shore
, and David Frost
. He expanded his nightclub appearances performing at The Improv
between the acts of such rising-star comics as Bette Midler
, Jimmie Walker
, and John Belushi
. During this period, he became involved with the United Church of Religious Science and the Church of Scientology
, but he is no longer affiliated with Scientology. Also, roughly at the same time, he began writing his own lyrics, finding that his Christian spirituality began to impact his work.
In 1975, Jarreau was working with pianist Tom Canning when he was spotted by Warner Bros. Records
and soon thereafter released his critically acclaimed debut album, We Got By, which catapulted him to international fame and garnered him a German Grammy Award. A second German Grammy would follow with the release of his second album, Glow.
One of Jarreau's most commercially successful albums is Breakin' Away (1981), which includes the hit song "We're In This Love Together." He wrote and performed the Grammy-nominated theme to the 1980s American television show Moonlighting
. Among other things, he is well known for his scat singing
and the ability to imitate conventional guitar, bass, and percussive instrumentation. He was also a featured vocalist on USA for Africa's "We Are the World
" in which he sang the line, "...and so we all must lend a helping hand." Another charitable media event, HBO's Comic Relief
, featured Al in a duet with Natalie Cole
singing the song "Mr. President," written by Joe Sterling, Mike Loveless and Ray Reach
.
Jarreau took an extended break from recording in the 1990s. As he explained in an interview with Jazz Review: "I was still touring, in fact, I toured more than I ever had in the past, so I kept in touch with my audience. I got my symphony program under way, which included my music and that of other people too, and I performed on the Broadway production of Grease. I was busier than ever! For the most part, I was doing what I have always done … perform live. I was shopping for a record deal and was letting people know that there is a new album coming. I was just waiting for the right label (Verve), but I toured more than ever."
In 2003, Jarreau and conductor Larry Baird collaborated on symphony shows around the United States, with Baird arranging additional orchestral material for Jarreau's shows.
He has toured and performed with numerous musicians, including Joe Sample
, Kathleen Battle
, Miles Davis
, David Sanborn
, Rick Braun
, and George Benson
. He also performed the role of the Teen Angel in a 1996 Broadway
production of Grease
. On March 6, 2001, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
, at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard
and La Brea Avenue
.
Al Jarreau appeared in a duet with American Idol
finalist Paris Bennett
during the Season 5 finale and on Celebrity Duets
singing with actor Cheech Marin
.
In 2010, Al Jarreau is a guest on the new Eumir Deodato album, with the song "double face" written by Al Jarreau Deodato and Nicolosi production team. The song is produced by Nicolosi productions.Italy
It was reported on July 23, 2010 that Jarreau was critically ill at a hospital in France, while in the area to perform a concert at nearby Barcelonnette
, and was being treated for respiratory problems and cardiac arrhythmias. He was taken to the intensive care unit at Gap
late on July 22, 2010. Jarreau was conscious, in stable condition and in the cardiology unit of La Timone hospital in Marseille, the Marseille Hospital Authority said. He was expected to remain there for about a week for tests.
Since then, Jarreau has made a full recovery and continues to tour extensively.
In 2009 Children's author, Carmen Rubin wrote and released the story, Ashti Meets Birdman Al, inspired by the music of Al Jarreau. He has written the foreword for that book and reads it across the world. Both Al and Carmen both work together to promote literacy and the importance of keeping music alive in children. Books are available on Itunes and www.carmenrubin.com
Songs by Bill Withers
Songs by Al Green
Following list is a sampling of compilations, composed of the songs recorded before 1974.
Several of the compilations listed above have different titles and/or year of release, even though they contain the same songs, e.g.:
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winning jazz singer.
Background
Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, the fifth of six children. His web site refers to Reservoir, Inc., the name of the street where he lived. His father was a Seventh-Day Adventist ChurchSeventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
minister and singer, and his mother was a church pianist. He and his family sang together in church concerts and in benefits, and he and his mother performed at PTA
PTA
-Organizations:* Andalusia Technology Park , a science park in Málaga, Spain* Parent-Teacher Association* Pakistan Telecommunication Authority* Passenger transport authority, a United Kingdom local government authority...
meetings.
He was student council
Student council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
president and Badger Boys State
Badger Boys State
Badger Boys State is a week-long youth program held each June to teach Wisconsin high-school students leadership and the workings of government. Forty-nine states have a similar yet distinctive program for boys and a separate program for girls...
delegate for Lincoln High School
Lincoln High School (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Lincoln High School was a public high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the corner of Cass and Knapp Streets. It was a part of the Milwaukee Public Schools system....
, going on to Ripon College
Ripon College (Wisconsin)
Ripon College is a liberal arts college in Ripon, Wisconsin, USA. It offers small class sizes and intensive mentoring to students. Ripon has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa--one of the nation's most prestigious honor societies. Alumni have high rates of success in the workforce as well as acceptance...
, where he also sang with a group called the Indigos. Jarreau graduated in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. He went on to earn a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in vocational rehabilitation from the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, worked as a Rehabilitation Counselor in San Francisco and moonlighted with a jazz trio headed by George Duke
George Duke
George Duke is a multi-faceted American musician, known as a keyboard pioneer, composer, singer and producer in both jazz and popular mainstream musical genres. He has worked with numerous acclaimed artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and professor of music...
.
In 1967, he joined forces with acoustic guitarist Julio Martinez. The duo became the star attraction at a small Sausalito night club called Gatsby's. This success contributed to Jarreau's decision to make professional singing his life and full-time career.
Going full-time
In 1968, Jarreau made jazz his primary occupation. In 1969, Jarreau and Martinez headed south, where Jarreau appeared in such Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
hot spots as Dino's, The Troubadour, and Bitter End West. Television exposure came from Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin
Merv Griffin
Mervyn Edward "Merv" Griffin, Jr. was an American television host, musician, actor, and media mogul. He began his career as a radio and big band singer who went on to appear in movies and on Broadway. From 1965 to 1986 Griffin hosted his own talk show, The Merv Griffin Show on Group W Broadcasting...
, Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
, and David Frost
David Frost (broadcaster)
Sir David Paradine Frost, OBE is a British journalist, comedian, writer, media personality and daytime TV game show host best known for his two decades as host of Through the Keyhole and serious interviews with various political figures, the most notable being Richard Nixon...
. He expanded his nightclub appearances performing at The Improv
The Improv
The Improv is a comedy club franchise. Originally, it was a single venue founded in 1963 by Budd Friedman and located in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City on West 44th near the SE corner of 9th Ave. A second location was opened in 1974 at 8162 Melrose Avenue in the Fairfax District...
between the acts of such rising-star comics as Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
, Jimmie Walker
Jimmie Walker
James Carter "Jimmie" Walker is an American actor and stand-up comedian, known for portraying J. J. Evans on the television series Good Times, which ran from 1974 to 1979...
, and John Belushi
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
. During this period, he became involved with the United Church of Religious Science and the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
, but he is no longer affiliated with Scientology. Also, roughly at the same time, he began writing his own lyrics, finding that his Christian spirituality began to impact his work.
In 1975, Jarreau was working with pianist Tom Canning when he was spotted by Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and soon thereafter released his critically acclaimed debut album, We Got By, which catapulted him to international fame and garnered him a German Grammy Award. A second German Grammy would follow with the release of his second album, Glow.
One of Jarreau's most commercially successful albums is Breakin' Away (1981), which includes the hit song "We're In This Love Together." He wrote and performed the Grammy-nominated theme to the 1980s American television show Moonlighting
Moonlighting (TV series)
Moonlighting is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 3, 1985, to May 14, 1989. The network aired a total of 66 episodes...
. Among other things, he is well known for his scat singing
Scat singing
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice.- Structure and syllable choice...
and the ability to imitate conventional guitar, bass, and percussive instrumentation. He was also a featured vocalist on USA for Africa's "We Are the World
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
" in which he sang the line, "...and so we all must lend a helping hand." Another charitable media event, HBO's Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
, featured Al in a duet with Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
singing the song "Mr. President," written by Joe Sterling, Mike Loveless and Ray Reach
Ray Reach
Raymond Everett Reach, Jr. is an American pianist, vocalist and educator residing in Birmingham, Alabama, now serving as Director of Student Jazz Programs for the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame, director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame All-Stars and President and CEO of Ray Reach Music and Magic City...
.
Jarreau took an extended break from recording in the 1990s. As he explained in an interview with Jazz Review: "I was still touring, in fact, I toured more than I ever had in the past, so I kept in touch with my audience. I got my symphony program under way, which included my music and that of other people too, and I performed on the Broadway production of Grease. I was busier than ever! For the most part, I was doing what I have always done … perform live. I was shopping for a record deal and was letting people know that there is a new album coming. I was just waiting for the right label (Verve), but I toured more than ever."
In 2003, Jarreau and conductor Larry Baird collaborated on symphony shows around the United States, with Baird arranging additional orchestral material for Jarreau's shows.
He has toured and performed with numerous musicians, including Joe Sample
Joe Sample
Joseph Leslie "Joe" Sample is an American pianist, keyboard player and composer.He is one of the founding members of the Jazz Crusaders, the band which became simply The Crusaders in 1971, and remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991 .- Biography :Sample began playing the piano...
, Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Battle , is an African-American operatic soprano known for her agile and light voice and her silvery, pure tone. Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances with major orchestras during the early and mid 1970s. She made her opera debut in...
, Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
, David Sanborn
David Sanborn
David Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
, Rick Braun
Rick Braun
Rick Braun is a smooth jazz trumpet player.Before embarking on a solo career, Braun got his start by playing in several bands, including guitarist Jeff Golub's Avenue Blue...
, and George Benson
George Benson
George Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
. He also performed the role of the Teen Angel in a 1996 Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Grease
Grease (musical)
Grease is a 1971 musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The musical is named for the 1950s United States working-class youth subculture known as the greasers. The musical, set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School , follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of love,...
. On March 6, 2001, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
, at 7083 Hollywood Boulevard on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard
-Revitalization:In recent years successful efforts have been made at cleaning up Hollywood Blvd., as the street had gained a reputation for crime and seediness. Central to these efforts was the construction of the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and adjacent Kodak Theatre in 2001...
and La Brea Avenue
La Brea Avenue
La Brea Avenue is a prominent north/south thoroughfare in Los Angeles. Several museums are located along La Brea, and it is known for having many stores and eateries.-Description:...
.
Al Jarreau appeared in a duet with American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
finalist Paris Bennett
Paris Bennett
Paris Ana'is Bennett is an American singer. She came to national recognition as a contestant on the fifth season of the reality television talent show, American Idol, finishing in fifth place...
during the Season 5 finale and on Celebrity Duets
Celebrity Duets
Celebrity Duets was an American reality television show of the progressive game-show type, which combined celebrities of different backgrounds with professional singers in a weekly elimination competition....
singing with actor Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
.
In 2010, Al Jarreau is a guest on the new Eumir Deodato album, with the song "double face" written by Al Jarreau Deodato and Nicolosi production team. The song is produced by Nicolosi productions.Italy
Personal life
Jarreau has been married twice. His first marriage, to Phyllis Hall, lasted from 1964 to 1968. His second wife was model Susan Player whom he married in 1977. Jarreau and Player have one adult son together, Ryan.It was reported on July 23, 2010 that Jarreau was critically ill at a hospital in France, while in the area to perform a concert at nearby Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette is a commune in the Ubaye Valley, in the southern French Alps, in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, of which it is a subprefecture.-History:...
, and was being treated for respiratory problems and cardiac arrhythmias. He was taken to the intensive care unit at Gap
Gap, Hautes-Alpes
Gap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department.-Geography:An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and Route nationale 85 the Route Napoléon, Gap lies above sea level along the right bank of the Luye River...
late on July 22, 2010. Jarreau was conscious, in stable condition and in the cardiology unit of La Timone hospital in Marseille, the Marseille Hospital Authority said. He was expected to remain there for about a week for tests.
Since then, Jarreau has made a full recovery and continues to tour extensively.
In 2009 Children's author, Carmen Rubin wrote and released the story, Ashti Meets Birdman Al, inspired by the music of Al Jarreau. He has written the foreword for that book and reads it across the world. Both Al and Carmen both work together to promote literacy and the importance of keeping music alive in children. Books are available on Itunes and www.carmenrubin.com
Albums
- 1975: We Got By (RepriseReprise RecordsReprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
) US# 209 - 1976: Glow (Reprise) - US# 132, R&B #30, Jazz# 9
- 1978: All Fly Home (Warner Bros.) - US# 78, R&B# 27, Jazz# 2
- 1980: This TimeThis Time (Al Jarreau Album)This Time is the fourth studio album by Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau, released in 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. The release marked a change in Jarreau's sound to a more R&B-oriented flavor. As a result, the album achieved more success on the mainstream charts than his previous works, while also topping...
(Warner Bros. Records) - US# 27, R&B# 6, Jazz# 1 - 1981: Breakin' Away (Warner Bros. Records) - US# 9, R&B# 1, Jazz# 1, UKUK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
# 60 - 1983: Jarreau (Warner Bros. Records) - US# 13, R&B# 4, Jazz# 1, UK# 39
- 1984: High Crime (Warner Bros. Records) - US# 49, R&B# 12, Jazz# 2, UK# 81
- 1986: L is for LoverL Is for LoverL is for Lover is an album by Al Jarreau, released in 1986.- Track list :- Personnel :* Al Jarreau: Vocals, vocoder* Tawatha Agee: Background vocals* Steve Ferrone: Drums* Jimmy Bralower: Percussion, drums* Hiram Bullock: Guitar...
(Warner Bros. Records) - US# 81, R&B# 30, Jazz# 9, UK# 45 - 1988: Heart's Horizon (Warner Bros. Records) - US# 75, R&B# 10, Jazz# 1
- 1992: Heaven and Earth (Warner Bros.) - US# 105, R&B# 30, Jazz# 2
- 2000: Tomorrow Today (GRPGRP RecordsGRP Records is an American jazz record company, owned by Universal Music Group and operates through its Verve Music Group. The company's name has had different meanings. In its early days, it stood for "Grusin/Rosen Productions," after the founders...
) - US# 137, R&B# 43, Jazz# 1 - 2002: All I Got (GRP) - US# 137, R&B# 43, Jazz# 3
- 2004: Accentuate the PositiveAccentuate the Positive (album)Accentuate the Positive is an album recorded in 2004 by singer Al Jarreau based around songs from the 1940s.- Tracklisting :# "Cold Duck" # "The Nearness of You"...
(GRP RecordsGRP RecordsGRP Records is an American jazz record company, owned by Universal Music Group and operates through its Verve Music Group. The company's name has had different meanings. In its early days, it stood for "Grusin/Rosen Productions," after the founders...
) - 2006: Givin' It Up (with George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
) (ConcordConcord RecordsConcord Records is a U.S. record label now based in Beverly Hills, California. Originally known as Concord Jazz, it was established in 1972 as an off-shoot of the Concord Jazz Festival in Concord, California by festival founder Carl Jefferson, a local automobile dealer and jazz fan who sold his...
) - US# 58, R&B# 14, Jazz# 1 - 2008: Christmas (Rhino)
Live albums
- 1977: Look to the Rainbow (Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
) - US# 49, R&B# 19, Jazz# 5 - 1985: In London (Warner Bros. Records) - US# 125, R&B# 55, Jazz# 10. Sometimes titled "Live in London".
- 1994: Tenderness (Warner Bros. Records) US# 114, R&B# 25, Jazz# 2. Recorded live in a studio in front of an invited audience.
Recorded after 1975
- 1996: Best of Al Jarreau (Warner Bros. Records) - Jazz #8
- 2008: Love Songs (RhinoRhino EntertainmentRhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
) - 2009: The Very Best Of Al Jarreau: An Excellent Adventure (Rhino) (This compilation holds one previously unreleased track: "Excellent Adventure")
Recorded before 1974
After Jarreau's breakthrough in 1975 an almost unaccountable number of compilations of earlier recordings from 1965 to 1973 have emerged, including some or all of the following songs:Songs by Bill WithersBill WithersWilliam Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Use Me", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day", and "Grandma's Hands"...
- Ain't No Sunshine (2:03)
- Lean on Me (4:18)
- Use Me (3:31)
- Kissing My Love (3:38)
- Grandma's Hands (7:15)
- You (3:31)
- Lonely Town, Lonely Street (3:11)
- The Same Love That Made Me Laugh (3:20)
Songs by Al GreenAl GreenAlbert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
- Living for You (2:43)
- Call Me (2:32)
- Here I Am (3:59
- Let's Get Married (3:30)
- Let's Stay Together (3:22)
- You Ought to Be With Me (3:12)
- Love and Happiness (3:10)
- Tired of Being Alone (2:36)
- Look What You've Done for Me (2:51)
- I'm Still in Love With You (2:51)
Songs by various composers
- My Favorite Things (5:02, Hammerstein, Rodgers)
- Stockholm Sweetnin' (5:50, Jones)
- A Sleepin' Bee (5:52, Arlen, Capote)
- The Masquerade Is Over (6:34, Magidson, Wrubel)
- Sophisticated Lady (4:14, Ellington, Mills, Parish)
- Joey, Joey, Joey (3:42, Loesser)
- Come Rain or Come Shine (6:56, Arlen, Mercer)
- One Note Samba (4:24, Hendricks, Jobim, Mendonca)
Compilations (recordings before 1974)
Following list is a sampling of compilations, composed of the songs recorded before 1974.
- 1965 or 1981: 1965 (Bainbridge). Unclear whether the album was released the same year it was recorded (1965) or in 1981. Allmusic.com dates it 1965, but the reviewer on Allmusic says 1981. All available (and previously sold) vinyls from Bainbridge dates 1981, and some foreign releases on the labels Disc'Az and Ducale dates 1983 (Discogs.com).
- 1983: The Masquerade Is Over (Magnum)
- 1984: Al Jarreau (Forever Gold)
- 1985: You (Lifetime)
- 1985: Ain't No Sunshine (Prestige)
- 1985: Sings Bill Withers (Blue Moon)
- 1995: Living for You (Synergie Omp). Songs by Al Green.
- 1998: Tribute to Bill Withers (Culture Press)
- 1998: Improvisations (Blue Moon, 2-discs). Also released the same year by Synergie on 2 separate discs named Improvisations Album One and Improvisations Album Two. These albums contain all the songs recorded before 1974, as listet above.
- 2001: This One's for You (Hallmark)
- 2001: Ain't No Sunshine (SRI)
- 2002: One Note Samba (Traditional Line)
- 2003: Best of Al Jarreau (Tyrostar)
- 2005: My Favorite Things (Golden Stars, 3-discs)
- 2009: Tribute to Al Green (K-tel)
- 2010: Tribute to Al Green (Platinum Records)
Several of the compilations listed above have different titles and/or year of release, even though they contain the same songs, e.g.:
- 1965 (1981, Bainbridge) = The Masquerade Is Over (1983, Magnum) = One Note Samba (2002, Traditional Line).
- You (1985, Lifetime) = Ain't No Sunshine (1985, Prestige) = Sings Bill Withers (1985, Blue Moon) = Tribute to Bill Withers (1998, Culture Press) = This One's for You (2001, Hallmark) = Ain't No Sunshine (2001, SRI).
- Living for You (1995, Synergie Omp) = Tribute to Al Green (2009 K-tel, 2010 Platinum Records).
Singles
- 1976: "Rainbow In Your Eyes" - R&B #92
- 1977: "Take Five" - R&B #91
- 1978: "Thinkin' About It Too" - R&B #55
- 1980: "Distracted" - R&B #61
- 1980: "Gimme What You Got" - R&B #63
- 1980: "Never Givin' Up" - R&B #26
- 1981: "We're In This Love Together" - US #15, R&B #6 UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#55 - 1982: "Breakin' Away" - US #43, R&B #25
- 1982: "Teach Me Tonight" - US #70, R&B #51
- 1982: "Your Precious Love" Duet with Randy Crawford - R&B #16
- 1983: "Boogie Down" - US #77, R&B #9 UK #63
- 1983: "Mornin'" - US #21, R&B #6 UK #28
- 1983: "Trouble In Paradise" - US #63, R&B #66 UK #36
- 1984: "After All" - US #69, R&B #26
- 1985: "Raging Waters" - R&B #42
- 1986: "L Is For Lover" - R&B #42
- 1986: "Tell Me What I Gotta Do" - R&B #37
- 1986: "The Music Of Goodbye" (From Out Of Africa) Duet with Melissa Manchester - AC #16
- 1987: "Moonlighting" (from Moonlighting) - US #23, R&B #32 UK #8 (#1 Adult Contemporary)
- 1988: "So Good" R&B #2
- 1989: "All of My Love" - R&B #69
- 1989: "All or Nothing At All" - R&B #59
- 1992: "Blue Angel" - R&B #74
- 1992: "It's Not Hard to Love You" - R&B #36
- 2001: "In My Music" (with Phife Dawg)
Soundtrack inclusions
- 1982: "Girls Know How" / American movie Night ShiftNight Shift (film)Night Shift is a 1982 comedy film, one of Ron Howard's earliest directorial efforts. It stars Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler along with Michael Keaton, in his first starring role, and Shelley Long, who later in the year would star as Diane Chambers in the popular sitcom Cheers. Also...
(Warner Bros) - 1984: "Moonlighting" and "Since I Fell For You" / American television show MoonlightingMoonlighting (TV series)Moonlighting is an American television series that aired on ABC from March 3, 1985, to May 14, 1989. The network aired a total of 66 episodes...
(Universal) - 1984: "Boogie Down" / American movie Breakin'Breakin'Breakin', released as Breakdance: The Movie in some countries, is a 1984 breakdancing-themed film directed by Joel Silberg. The film setting was inspired by a German documentary entitled Breakin' and Enterin set in the Los Angeles multi-racial hip hop club Radiotron, based out of Macarthur Park in...
(Warner Bros) - 1986: "The Music Of Goodbye" Duet with Melissa Manchester / American movie Out of AfricaOut of AfricaOut of Africa is a 1985 romantic drama film directed and produced by Sydney Pollack, and starring Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. The film is based loosely on the autobiographical book Out of Africa written by Isak Dinesen , which was published in 1937, with additional material from Dinesen's book...
(MCA Records) - 1989: "Never Explain Love" / American movie Do The Right ThingDo the Right ThingDo the Right Thing is a 1989 American dramedy produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee, who is also a featured actor in the film. Other members of the cast include Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, and John Turturro. It is also notably the...
(Motown)
Guest appearances
- 1978: "Hot News Blues" from "Secret Agent"/Chick CoreaChick CoreaArmando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
— (Polydor) - 1979: "Little Sunflower" from "The Love ConnectionThe Love ConnectionThe Love Connection is a 1979 album by jazz musician Freddie Hubbard. It was originally released on the Columbia label and features performances by Hubbard, Tom Scott, Buddy Collette, Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke with Al Jarreau providing vocals....
"/Freddie HubbardFreddie HubbardFrederick Dewayne "Freddie" Hubbard was an American jazz trumpeter. He was known primarily for playing in the bebop, hard bop and post bop styles from the early 1960s and on...
; (Columbia) - 1985: "We Are the WorldWe Are the World"We Are the World" is a song and charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album We Are the World...
" / USA for AfricaUSA for AfricaUSA for Africa was the name under which forty-seven predominantly U.S. artists, led by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, recorded the hit single "We Are the World" in 1985. The song was a US and UK Number One for the collective in April of that year...
(Columbia) - 1986: "Since I Fell For You" from Double Vision/Bob JamesBob James (musician)Robert McElhiney James is a jazz keyboardist, arranger and producer.-Biography:During the 1970s, Bob James played a major role in establishing the smooth jazz genre. "Angela", the instrumental theme from the sitcom Taxi, is probably Bob James' most well-known work to date...
& David SanbornDavid SanbornDavid Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school...
— (Waner Bros.) - 1997: "Girl from Ipanema" and "Waters of MarchWaters of March"Waters of March" is a Brazilian song composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Jobim wrote both the English and Portuguese lyrics. The lyrics, originally written in Portuguese, do not tell a story, but rather present a series of images that form a collage; nearly every line starts with "É..."...
" from A Twist of Jobim/Lee RitenourLee RitenourLee Mack Ritenour is an American jazz guitarist who has recorded over 42 albums, appeared on over 3000 sessions, and has charted over 30 instrumental and vocal contemporary jazz hits since 1976. One of his most popular songs was the smash hit, “Is It You” in 1981. Ritenour is considered to be a...
— (GRP) - 2010: "Whisper NotWhisper NotWhisper Not is a 1967 studio album by the American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, with the Marty Paich Orchestra. Ella had previously recorded with Marty Paich and his more familiar Dek-tette on the 1957 album Ella Swings Lightly.Whisper Not is Ella's penultimate recording for the Verve label...
" from "New Time, New Tet"/Benny GolsonBenny GolsonBenny Golson is an American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger.-Biography:While in high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Golson played with several other promising young musicians, including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Philly Joe Jones, and...
; (Conord Jazz)
Wins
- 1978Grammy Awards of 1978The 20th Grammy Awards were held February 23, 1978, and were broadcast live on American television. They were hosted by folk music legend John Denver, and recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1977.- Award winners :*Record of the Year...
— Best Jazz Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album has been presented since 1977. Until 2001 this award was titled the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance...
, Look To The Rainbow - 1979Grammy Awards of 1979The 21st Grammy Awards were held in 1979, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1978.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Phil Ramone & Billy Joel for "Just the Way You Are"...
— Best Jazz Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album has been presented since 1977. Until 2001 this award was titled the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance...
, All Fly Home - 1981Grammy Awards of 1981The 23rd Grammy Awards were held February 25, 1981, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1980.- Award winners :*Record of the Year...
— Best Album for ChildrenGrammy Award for Best Album for ChildrenThe Grammy Award for Best Album for Children has been awarded since 1959. Prior to 1992, the award was known as Best Recording for Children and was therefore open to any audio recording, whether it was an album, a single song, a recording of a book, or the audio from a television show or movie...
, In Harmony A Sesame Street Record, together with other artists - 1982Grammy Awards of 1982The 24th Grammy Awards were held February 24, 1982, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1981...
— Best Male Pop Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance was awarded between 1966 and 2011...
, Breakin' Away- — Best Jazz Vocal Performance, MaleGrammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, MaleThe Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to male recording artists for quality jazz vocal performances...
, "(Round, Round, Round) Blue Rondo A La Turk"
- — Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
- 1993Grammy Awards of 1993The 35th Grammy Awards were held in 1993. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Eric Clapton was the night's big winner, winning 6 awards including Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
— Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male...
, Heaven and Earth - 2007Grammy Awards of 2007The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning September 15, 2005 and ending September 14, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday February 11, 2007 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dixie Chicks...
— Best Traditional R&B Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers of quality traditional R&B vocal performances. The award was first given in 1999; until 2003, only...
, "God Bless The Child", together with George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
and Jill ScottJill ScottJill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
Nominations
- 1981Grammy Awards of 1981The 23rd Grammy Awards were held February 25, 1981, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1980.- Award winners :*Record of the Year...
— Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male...
, "Never Givin' Up" - 1982Grammy Awards of 1982The 24th Grammy Awards were held February 24, 1982, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1981...
— Album of the YearGrammy Award for Album of the YearThe Grammy Award for Album of the Year is the most prestigious award category at the Grammys. It has been awarded since 1959 and though it was originally presented to the artist alone, the award is now presented to the artist, the producer, the engineer and/or mixer and the mastering engineer...
, Breakin' Away - 1984Grammy Awards of 1984The 26th Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1984, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1983...
— Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)The Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist has been awarded since 1963. The award is presented to the arranger of the music.There have been several minor changes to the name of the award:...
, "Step by Step" , together with Tom Canning, Jay GraydonJay GraydonJay Graydon is a Los Angeles songwriter, recording artist, guitarist, singer, producer, arranger, and recording engineer. He is the winner of two Grammy Awards with twelve Grammy nominations, among them the title "Producer of the Year" and "Best Engineered Recording". Jay Graydon has mastered many...
and Jerry Hey - 1985Grammy Awards of 1985The 27th Grammy Awards were held February 26, 1985, and were broadcast live on American television. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1984.- Award winners :*Record of the Year...
— Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with VocalsGrammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with VocalsThe Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances...
, "Edgartown Groove" , together with KashifKashifKashif is an Arabic word, commonly used as a male given name in the Muslim world. Its meaning is close to the English words 'revealer', 'discoverer', 'uncoverer' or 'pioneer'.... - 1986Grammy Awards of 1986The 28th Grammy Awards were held on February 25, 1986. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year, 1985.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Quincy Jones for "We Are the World" performed by USA for Africa...
— Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male...
, High Crime - 1987Grammy Awards of 1987The 29th Grammy Awards were held in 1987. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Russ Titelman , Steve Winwood for "Higher Love"*Album of the Year...
— Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male...
, "Since I Fell For You" - 1988Grammy Awards of 1988The 30th Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1988. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Paul Simon for "Graceland"*Album of the Year...
— Best Male Pop Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance was awarded between 1966 and 2011...
, "Moonlighting (Theme)"- — Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual MediaGrammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual MediaThe Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
, "Moonlighting (Theme)", together with Lee HoldridgeLee HoldridgeLee Holdridge is a Haitian-born American television composer and orchestrator.-Biography:He was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, of a Puerto-Rican mother and an American father, the botanist an climatologist Leslie Holdridge...
- — Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
- 1990Grammy Awards of 1990The 32nd Grammy Awards were held in 1990. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-General:*Record of the Year**Arif Mardin & Bette Midler for "Wind Beneath My Wings"*Album of the Year...
— Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male...
, Heart's Horizon - 1995Grammy Awards of 1995The 37th Grammy Awards were presented March 1, 1995. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Bill Bottrell & Sheryl Crow for "All I Wanna Do"*Album of the Year...
— Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:*In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male...
, "Wait For The Magic" - 2005Grammy Awards of 2005The 47th Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2005 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were hosted by Queen Latifah , and televised in the United States by CBS. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year...
— Best Jazz Vocal AlbumGrammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal AlbumThe Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album has been presented since 1977. Until 2001 this award was titled the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance...
, Accentuate the PositiveAccentuate the Positive (album)Accentuate the Positive is an album recorded in 2004 by singer Al Jarreau based around songs from the 1940s.- Tracklisting :# "Cold Duck" # "The Nearness of You"... - 2007Grammy Awards of 2007The 49th Annual Grammy Awards was a ceremony honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning September 15, 2005 and ending September 14, 2006 in the United States. The awards were handed out on Sunday February 11, 2007 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dixie Chicks...
— Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with VocalsGrammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with VocalsThe Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances...
, "Breezin'" , together with George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
External links
- Official website
- Al Jarreau's Rhino Artist Page
- "Al Jarreau performs 'You Don't See Me'" on the WGBH series, Say Brother
- Al Jarreau 2006 Interview with George Benson on Sidewalks EntertainmentSidewalks EntertainmentSidewalks Entertainment is a long-running, weekly American television series that is a combination of a talk show, magazine show and variety show featuring celebrity interviews, music, artistic and novelty acts, and rising performers...
- Al Jarreau 2006 Smoothviews.com Interview