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Moscow – 12/12/12

Belarus to Moscow. An hours flight. Both countries are amazing in their own ways! Belarus was simple and quaint, and Moscow it’s busy counterpart.

Ok switch gears. I have a real true friend here in the jazz idiom who is “pure art,” along with Ella, Henry Moore, and Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross. I don’t know how she does it. Her vocal chops are unending. She could stand there beside Stevie Wonder and Luciano Pavarotti, and when those guys are tired, she’d go on. In a country where western music was not allowed until “the wall” crumbled around the fall of 1989 (moments ago), she went and found it way, way before that. And today, she could stand there with me or Krall or Hendrix or Joe Williams, and sing the tradition! But wait folks. This one has acted in 14 movies in Russia, and a Russian play or drama has historically been revered and pointed at as the highest art form of acting, and playwriting that we have known on the planet.

She did the most brilliant television productions I have ever seen. Look out Michael. In terms of the business of putting together the pieces of any production that electrify somebody’s heart, I’ve seen some amazing stuff. And at the center of it, and inventing it, was Larisa Dolina. She comes to the Palladium in Los Angeles and does 14 nights in a row to a cheering, screaming Russian American and American. I’m astounded by the strength and beauty and pure heart and soul.

I couldn’t believe it when she told me she’s doing the dramatic musical Mata Hari!!! Please look it up. There is not enough space here to describe what this production is all about. But, oh yes. She’s on stage acting and singing and acting acting! She’s an actress.

Well, she came and sang with me last night. A few years ago, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Larissa, and I shared an evening together in Moscow in front of a great jazz audience.

I must close with the fact that she brought me to the Kremlin and we sang before Russian royalty and Russian dignitaries.

We sang, “Roof Garden,” and the people danced and screamed. And tonight my little sista Larissa stopped at the hotel restaurant and laughed and talked like we had never talked before. This is all I have to say about Moscow. Soon we’re going to Italy for Christmas, and soon it will be 2013. Thanks guys!

Love, Al

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Belarus – 12/10/12

What an amazingly quaint place! We arrived to snowfall, and drove through these beautiful, flowing white hills to get to our hotel. Our drivers spoke great English, and told us a little about the history of Belarus.

The weather was so cold, but it really brought me back to my roots in Milwaukee. I love this kind of weather, and I kept telling that fact to everyone. I could live here, and play music all day.

Before the show, we had a school come up and ask questions about my career and music in general. And then, something happened. Some of the teachers and kids came up and started having a jam session with my band! I was not expecting this at all, but it was a great time. They were great jazz players, and I was really impressed with their improvising. They are welcome on my stage any time.

We hit the show, and it’s all smiles. The songs go over really well with this audience, and everyone seems to know the words to the classic hits. We’re grooving and shaking, and making new friends in Belarus.

After the show, we had a reception with some of the sponsors. I had some great food, and laughed with everyone there. Thanks Belarus for all the memories!

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Dubai – 12/7/12

Pronounced “Doo By.” Some of you may be old enough to remember some fantastic, wonderful songs from Broadway musicals. There’s a song whose important chorus line is “far away places with the strange sounding names are calling, calling me.” It’s a haunting little piece of music that I sang in high school a cappella choir. Little did I know that I might have been the composer. I sure am the subject of that song, “The Dreamer.” It took 16 hours to get there, and it’s a jewel in the crown of the Arab Emirates, that include… it sits at the bottom curve of the Persian Gulf, and for centuries it has historically been an important hub along the trade routes. However Dubai itself is a new city, less than 40 years old. You may have seen TV journal reports on this fantastically wealthy, ultra modern, community.

And everything is spanking brand new and high-tech, with some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. It’s as though they’re racing with the world to have the biggest and newest and grandest everything. Somebody described it as Disneyland gone wild. Europeans love the warmth of the sunny beaches and the party atmosphere that seems to never stop. But there’s a conservative quality about it that’s very unlike Vegas and most high-end resort towns.. We’re an hour’s plane ride from Iraq and Iran, but the tolerance for Western practices and ideas is strikingly different. I mentioned to a journalist how important it was that Westerners like me get invited, and we have these great, little cultural exchange programs where we all discover how much we are alike This is my first time in Dubai, but last year we went to Abu Dhabi, which is about a 35-minute drive away. Talk about a strange sounding name. Ah-Boo-Dah-Bee. We made some new friends, and we did again this time. We played outside starting at 9pm and “wow,” it’s a very comfortable 73 degrees. They tell me that in the summer it’s really hot. We played on the beach about 50 yards from the water, on an improvised scaffolding stage, with folding chairs for the audience. I love these kinds of loose, comfortable relaxed atmospheres.

Well, the fans came last night, and came running down front to dance and party towards the end of the program and the encores. They squealed with surprise and delight when their local promoter, Morozov, walked out on stage and literally tore it up with improvised playing and solos in Agua/Mas. These are called magic moments you guys. Who knew??? There was a big, big lady in the front row with a black dress who literally jumped up and down in place with excitement. And there was a guy who screamed for, “Roof Garden,” so long and loud all evening that we had no choice. One of the most wonderful responses to, “Jacaranda Bougainvillea,” all about Mandela’s new South Africa. After the concert, I hugged both of our promoters really hard, and mentioned to them and their guests how wonderful it is to be making new friends. I can tell that they are quietly bursting with joy and happiness about this evening. And the people! What a wave of support for the new kids in town… rushing up on stage to get autographs and photos before I could even get off of the stage. We’re already talking about doing this again, and some other neighboring countries.

Wonderful news. The new record that I did with the Metropole Orchestra from Holland, and Vince Mendoza (conductor and arranger) is nominated for a Grammy!

Ok that’ s it for now you guys. I’ll talk to you from Minsk, Moscow, and Rome. And then home for Christmas.

Love, Al

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Detroit

Detroit Symphony Orchestra (D.S.O.)

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic, fantastic. They are locally known by D.S.O. Sounds like a world famous rock group. Anyway, last night we were the D.S.O. and the Al Jarreau. D.S.O. and Al Jarreau created a new musical experience for everybody who knows Al Jarreau and the motor city Detroit from long ago. Me too!!! And what a night it was.

15 years ago when I first started doing this symphony orchestra program, I talked more at the website about this new wonderful venture. Excellent adventure into the world where my music meets the classical orchestra. Unfortunately and sadly the symphony orchestra in America is going away. And those who hang in there and survive are kind of sticking to their bread and butter, i.e. stuff like Bach and Beethoven. Other genres are extras.

Here we go! My rhythm section always comes with me to make sure that all the basic fundamentals are covered and insured. Larry Williams – synth and acoustic keyboards, Mark Simmons – drums and spiritual percussion. And Chris Walker on bass and background vocals. According to Moses and Hoyle, we started with an Overture, Medley (recognizable phrases) from 5 well known songs in my career: Boogie Down, We’re In This Love Together, Blue Rondo, Since I fell, Moonlighting. 2 all beef patties, special sauce, cheese, pickles on a sesame seed bun.

D.S.O. Al Jarreau. The real fun and inspiring part to me is to do all of these basically familiar old favorites with a full orchestra setting. Strings and horns, and timpani, and exotic percussion. And even a harpist. Every solo artist, Coltrane and Miles, Streisand and Pavarotti have adored the orchestra setting.

We’re back in a flash and effervescing away with, “Something’s Coming” with the west side story. Surprise?!? We throw in little bits and pieces of, “Maria,” “The Jets,” “I Feel Pretty,” and “Be In America.”

Thanks for everything!

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NDR Notes

I hope you’ll look up the Norddeutscher Rundfunk Big Band. In brief, they are an 18-piece big band jazz band that would make Basie, and Canton, and Ellington just laugh and clap their hands at how good the tradition they set is being carried on. And believe it or not, the band is 46 years old. Somewhere earlier I mentioned that they in fact solo as though they had been born in NY or New Orleans.

Going on, I didn’t realize that Joe’s new CD with the NDR, was a real concept project with songs designed around a central theme. The title of the album is, “The Children Of The Sun.” As Joe tells it, when he was in St. Croix, he came upon the ruins of the slaves quarters who worked the land, and made the rum, and harvested the sugar cane, and his eyes were glued to the endless blue sea surrounding the island. He was deeply touched by the realization that there was no escape from this island. No running away. The writers who wrote about this period referred to these children as, “children of the sun.” In a sort of blinding flash of light of understanding, we almost said together out loud, “Porgy and Bess were the children of the children of the sun, and what an amazing coincidence (it surely wasn’t on purpose) that my Porgy and Bess program, fit so perfectly with the Children Of The Sun.

We recorded a couple nights, and just maybe we’ve captured this wonderful coming together. Our hope is that we can bring this program to America. Ok thanks everybody I’ll see you next time.

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Berlin

What a magnificent concert hall just to look at. Somehow the looseness in its design doesn’t feel boxy straight up and down and confined. There are interesting little sections like the balcony behind the orchestra stage with 200 people waving and shouting. This is also the pipe organ loft. And then this back balcony wraps around and you can look left or right and watch it flow into the front balcony.

Joe sample and I are checking all this out at sound check time and we look and talk about, “This is the last night, man.” 5 weeks flying for me. And so I thank the band for their beautiful arrangements and playing that made me be a new me.

We tumble and roll and slip sideways, silently through the square, and we’re gone….. and suddenly there’s me and Joe Sample, 3 hours later, with encores done in the front of the hall, signing C.D.’s and autographs.

What a trip!

Love, Al

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