Author Archives : admin

Al in London’s Hyde Park July 14

Hi you guys. It’s London. Monday afternoon, sun is shining, it’s gorgeous, and that only begins to describe this occasion in wonderful glorious Londontown.

Yesterday, I sang with the band at the British Summertime Music Festival in Hyde Park. This weekend’s lineup included The Rolling Stones, J. Lo and Lionel Richie- a huge presentation which I was thrilled to be a part of. Everyone I’ve talked to has heard me say that our performance yesterday afternoon was rare and dreamlike. I would take it as the standard for everything I’ve ever done and will do on a stage. There’s something very special about a group, an orchestra, playing pre-written and pre-arranged music, everything from Mozart to Moody Blues. But. There’s nothing near as exciting as an audience who is also the performer. And sings along, nods their heads, and dances on their feet or in their seat. I don’t think it is sacrilege to say that this is close to “church.”

Now that’s amazing! Wonderful musicians inspired by the moment to do the best thing that really fine jazzers and contemporary artists do, rock and roll included. And that is to be in the moment. In short, that is to not play yesterday’s solo, but to stand there today with your brand new feelings, with a brand new audience, and be inspired by those feelings to play the music of a new moment in time. And when the audience sings along and does a call-and-response with the band on stage, you’ve got some pretty great stuff going on. And that’s what I mean by “church.”

So it’s Monday now. Another new bright sunny day in Londontown, which can be cold and foggy this time of the year, with everybody heading out of town to sunny Italy or Spain. It feels like Sunday again to me. The city has the atmosphere of a bazaar with wall-to-wall people in comfortable summer attire…

Thank you, London, and to all my family at Ronnie Scott’s and at Marshall Arts, and of course to my fabulous band that just kicked ass yesterday. I’ll write next from Batumi, Georgia in Eastern Europe: ex-Soviet Union.

-Al

Share :

Tarrytown, NY

If you ever get to Tarrytown to visit relatives or have lunch while you’re passing through, find Charlene. You can’t miss her. The twinkling blue eyes of a Mrs. Claus.

It was a clear, cold wintry noon when I stepped off the bus, and headed toward the stage door. It was as though she was counting my very steps from the bus to the stage door and threw it open wide with a smile and the warmest welcome that I’ve ever had at any stage door. This truly set the tone for what turned out to be a beautiful afternoon and evening at the Tarrytown Music Hall.

Charlene’s coffee was wonderful, and she had bought some baked cookies and muffins from the bakery down the street who baked for President Obama and other celebrities. She did everything, except say, “And now presenting…” with such a delightful spirit that I found myself saying, “Let’s do this again next week.”

It was obvious when you walked into the backstage area that this was a building that generations of workers had worked long and hard on preserving. Sparkling new performing arts centers are really great state venues, but there is something special about walking into a 150-year-old building where performers have been pouring out their hearts, and left their love and joy and tears saturating the walls.

Amazing. The town was celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, and that afternoon you could hear a marching band of high schoolers practicing and warming up on the street just outside the back door of theatre.

How fitting and appropriate… I told the audience how much I’ve always loved the name of their town Tarrytown. It’s right out of Disney Land. But it’s only a half an hour from downtown Manhattan just across the Hudson. There were people who knew me from Radio City Music Hall… in New Jersey PAC.

AND Barry Eastmond, producer, and family, made it even more special. We did music for the, “Tomorrow Today” record in his Tarrytown studio. Close and intimate, we did a long intermission program. New music, old music, loud music, soft music, “L is for Lover,” to “We Got By,” to “Heart’s Horizon,” and “Scootchabooty.” And, “Put It,” and “Roof Garden.” The whole enchilada.

And there was an ex-hockey player from Russia here tonight. He says I inspired him to do music, and he’s still doing it now. Thank you to my amazing band that continues to play with inspired freshness. Audiences are awed. Thank you Tarrytown, I’m Disney-fied anew. See you in Westport, CT, and Basel, Switzerland. Everyday is Thanksgiving.

Love, Al

Share :

Columbus, OH

Columbus Ohio Theatre

Columbus Symphony

As we approached this Columbus show, I have often mentioned to Ohio audiences that I surely have played more cities and dates in Ohio, than any other state in the union, including California and New York. And in the past I have said, “I love you and thank you,” for that support throughout the years at Blossom, Cincinnati, Cleveland, etc. But never before have I played with the Columbus Symphony, home of the Buckeyes. “College town USA.”

Saturday afternoons are described and owned by red and gold autumn leaves, megaphones and scarlet and gray or red and white, screaming crowds, and saddle shoes. Look it up. I almost went to Miami of Ohio. Coach Cheeks from my Lincoln High School in Milwaukee were schooled at Miami of Ohio. They grew boys into men. THAT’S THE PLACE TO BE.

During our rehearsal I was delightfully surprised at how the orchestra played my program as though they had been rehearsing it over and over for days.

Just to review, as in an opera or Broadway musical, the evening begins with the orchestra playing a short snippet summary of all the important songs and pieces. This is called the overture. When I do this, it’s called the “Jarreauverture.” And so we play a little bit of “Boogie Down,” “We’re In This Love Together,” “Blue Rhondo A La Turk,” “Since I Fell For You,” “Moonlighting Theme,” and the ever endearing two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, onions, pickles on a sesame seed bun from my commercial from McDonalds, me and Vesta Williams… B.C. If you’re smiling, that’s perfect.

Conductor Larry Baird, and my rhythm section trio from the touring band are the anchor points. In one moment we’re doing the quite spiritual, “Alonzo,” and in the next moment we are romping and stomping through, “Boogie Down.” But the main thing is, and always the main thing is, and will be, that the audience cannot resist singing along. I promise you and confess that this is the deliberate design of so much of what I do. Please come and tell me, “this is my wedding song,” “my mom brought me to your concert in Bremin in 1974, and this is my granddaughter Gretchen and she likes your music too, and don’t stop Al.” I’ve got it since a long time ago. Not to worry.

When people gather in one place, under one roof or sky, and hold hands and sing, this is called fellowship or Church or community or togetherness, and it always leads to high morale and healing. Thank you Leonid, concertmaster. Thank you to the concert conductor. Thank you Jude. I turn to my left and locked eyes with 5 Bassists who were great on that night. And just next to them on the left, was a string section that surely mesmerized and fried everyone’s notions of strings when they played their solo in, “Alonzo.” And then after that, helped me sail into, “Bess” (George and Ira Gershwin).

And boys and girls there was a romping and stomping through, “Summertime,” that I know and am certain that was new for this audience. We emphasized what we could of the suggested lightness and unworried attitude that is suggested by, “Summertime.” But it had a romping and stomping air and aura about it.

Larry Baird, conductor of the Moody Blues, conducted every cue and clue for the orchestra and for me too. This was the most rock and roll-ish symphony crowd. They were almost grabbing my pant cuffs and demanding I do autographs at the last encore when we were trying to go home.

Thank you Buckeyes. And here’s to more red and golden Saturday afternoons, and Saturday nights of heartfelt music.

Love, Al

Share :

Grammy Awards 2013

Maybe you can guess (if you can’t , then let me tell you) how fabulously wonderful it is to be talking about my adventure at the 2013 Grammy awards.

The album I recorded with the Metropole Orkest (Jazz Orchestra!!!) was nominated for 2 awards. I was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album, and Vince Mendoza, the conductor and arranger, was nominated for Best Instrumental Arrangement, for “Spain.”

I also contributed to a Children’s Album, which got nominated, titled, “Jumpin’ Jazz Kids – A Swinging Jungle Tale.” DeeDee Bridgewater, flautist Hubert Laws, and I did some lovely work on that project. The real reward is in being nominated for the award at all. When your associates, colleagues, brothers and sisters, who do the same type of work that you do, single you out and put your name in the hat in recognition of a job well done, you have already won. If you take home the trophy it should be a shared win with all the other nominees.

I’ve been doing this for 37 years, and to be getting this kind of approval at this point in my career is really a wonderful thing.

If you’ve got kids, or if you’re just a grown up kid yourself, go and find, “Jumpin’ Jazz Kids.” It’s fun. And of course, I’m recommending, “Al Jarreau and The Metropole Orkest – Live.” I had been talking for years about a doing a project with an orchestra, and here it is. I hope there will be another- There’s a lot more orchestra music that I want to do.

Check out Shannon West’s interview with me and Joe Turano, my music director, about the Metropole project at www.smoothviews.com.

The new touring season is getting off to a start, and I’ll talk to you about some recent dates soon. Ok bye-bye for now.

Love, Al

Share :