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Orléans, France

We begin the summer tour. I am trying to keep it so light and casual with jokes about New Orleans being named after this town in France. And Brian and I walk along the Loire river and think out loud, “Well this could be the Mississippi River. During those days Jazz was in infancy in juke joints and lots of churches and on back door steps. And we sang in front of St. Croix cathedral as big as Notre Dame with an active monastery, we dress in monastic chambers and cubicles… we changed clothes and put on our stupid shirts and ties. And tonight I will many times direct attention to the fact that these our holy grounds where smart and learned men have studied the relationship between man and God. AND NOW, I can begin my summer tour here in this place as I pray to be healthy and well, and POWERFUL.. music is healing… (more about that later)… Ask me. Our new commitment in France with Bernard Dulau is to go to Orléans and Normandy and Toulouse and Bordeaux and Marseille and bring this music to the people. And tonight there are more than 3,000 people from this provincial town. Obviously like the rest of France this audience represents a new home for jazz. And these province visits are what I did many years ago.

Yes, French mothers and dads came with their children and now those kids are back with their little “squirmies.” A little girl with curly blonde hair and a pink dress twirled and danced all night long holding the hems of her pink dress. She was irrepressible even though her dad reached out several times to try to keep her still. I loved it and I’ll never forget. Her little brother looked on in amazement. He couldn’t possibly know what you know, and what goes on in your little girl head. It’s a secret. Maybe the monks might know.

Brian and my son Ryan were excitedly taking pictures of the cathedral even at night. It really is as big as Notre Dame in Paris. It’s a good first night.

And maybe silly Al Jarreau with the putty nose and clown shoes… good music but always laugh and smile. And so we kissed pneumonia goodbye… get on the carpet and fly. And always give thanks. Merci New Orleans. You put “new winds” beneath my wings. Thank you Orléans. I am better, I am healed. My father’s home, the minister preacher, New Orleans.

Grownups make tiny little figures against the huge cathedral doors. Ryan and I talked to Susan on the phone while we drove to Amsterdam. I shared with her the brilliance of that evening in front of the cathedral. The festival is called Orléans Jazz… It really is. At the interview after the concert we talked about how important it is that France is that the country of France has adopted American jazz like proud and pleased parents. And, there are French musicians playing it as well as Americans. And they study it the same way they study philosophy and poetry and ballet.

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Forum Kloster – Gleisdorf

Here we are in Austria… “The Sound of Music” plays in my head as we drive through the open meadows and the foothills of the Alps mountains… “The hills are alive with the sound of music. The songs they have sung for 1000 years.” Real distant snowcap peaks from here. The hall is all glass and blue steel, very modernish. We sound check and I’m still studying music and reading lyrics. We’re doing a new program this season and this will be the second live performance. All of a sudden I’m standing in the wings backstage and waving at first row people. And the band is playing that fanfare front of Earth, Wind & Fire’s, “In The Stone.” Now THAT’S a beautiful steal. And pow we snap right into, “Maybe She’s Looking For You, L is for Lover.” This was a very big hit in Europe.

“Hello Gleisdorf.” Sorry I’m almost 2 years late for the show. I didn’t go in detail, but this is a date that got cancelled two years ago during the “health hiccup summer.” There’s something about a standing audience, chest and belly’s pressed against the edge of the stage. All crowded against each other. The energy passes like wildfire. They are on fire. And it makes me and the band get hot. New music like, “L Is For Lover,” “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Jacaranda Bougainvillea,” Chris Walker’s, “Heal,” “Random Act of Love,” “Scootcha-booty,” “Puddit,” get an open mouthed wow expression that is on the spot reassuring to me and the band. This is only the second performance of this set.

Mayor Stark, the Burgermeister, came to say a special hello with gifts and his lovely wife. And I found myself thinking in the middle of the set, that I hope he can see what I’m seeing. This auditorium was crowded and everybody all across the front was touching the stage with hands and forearms, but right down front in the middle they had made room for Elka, a lady in a wheelchair. Need I say more? These people were very special people. I tried several times to hear her name when I asked her, but when I failed to be able to hear her I just said, “Ok, Ok I’m going to call you Barbara.” Big laugh! She stayed all night, and they took good care of her.

This is Austria, Zawinul country. Our promoter is Erich Zawinul, Joe Zawinul’s son. He’s been bringing the band and me to Austria for 20 years. So, one of the encore pieces is, “Something That You Said,” and it’s a great moment. We signed CD’s, with Julia and Hans, organizing and helping out. Wow! Beautiful people. Women and men alike… short hair with Christmas tree earrings. And the guy with record albums dating back to prehistoric times. Fans of my music, getting to see me for the first time. They bought CD’s, we laughed and their excitement spilled over. We hopped on the bus ride. Very fun! We were as excited as 6th graders on a field trip. Laughin’, shouting, and snacking, certain of a success in Gleisdorf!

Dear Gleisdorf you laughed and clapped in time and danced in the aisle. Especially 2 or 3 women down front on the left. You scootcha-bootied!

Let’s do it again before 2 years. See you in Bratislava, Slovakia.

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Al Jarreau For The Jazz Roots – Director Larry Rosen

Las Vegas, NV

The Smith Center is a marvelously wonderful new performing venue to play in Las Vegas. It’s brand new since April, and is the only standalone performing arts center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is a very important addition to the list of performance facilities in Las Vegas; especially because it exists solely and entirely for performing. Everything is geared to and focused on that. There’s no gambling here. And there’s no hotel. I was so impressed by the staff at The Smith Center. They are top shelf professionals and are exceptionally warm and outgoing and welcoming and inviting. And so I thank you again Myron Martin for your personal greeting to me, and for a wonderful experience at The Smith Center.

Larry Rosen and Carl Griffin produced the Jazz Roots education program for high school kids. It has a real focus on the performance experience, and it gives music students a very important opportunity to experience live music performance in a top tier setting. Music in the schools is disappearing. The Department of Education in Washington, DC can tell you that kids who study music, tend to read better, get higher math scores, and tend to go on to college. So this is important stuff. About 100 kids from local schools visited us at sound check where they heard us play. And then we did a question and answer session. And Carl cajoled a few of them into coming onto the stage to play their instrument with me and my band. It was big fun! And really inspiring. I’m so touched and impressed… During the first part of the concert, I could hear that crowd clapping and cheering and yelling for the Ramsey Lewis Trio all the way in my dressing room. Ramsey brings his style of music right to today, and makes it relevant for any listeners. Of course there’s no scantily clad dancers or moonwalking. It’s just a simple, hard-drivin’ roots… all happening inside of a trio. Thanks Ramsey let’s do it again.

We tried out our new program for the first time. Moments like this can become a bit of a blur because one is concentrating so much on doing the new material correctly, with new lyrics and new arrangements, that perspective gets a little hazy. But what I sensed is this audience really enjoyed this new set of songs. They were up on their feet, grinning with eyes like silver dollars when we did, “Puddit,” with that humorous lyric that I wrote for an old Crusader song. Chris Walker’s, “How Do You Heal A Broken Heart,” followed by the two of us doing a duet on, “Random Act Of Love,” was a sure-fire hit. And so was, “Double Face,” and, “Jacaranda.” When we left with, “Roof Garden,” that talks about, “party,” they did just that and jumped to their feet and got that boogie down.

A nice little meet and greet with some wonderful friends was a perfect cherry on top of the whole event. James Lewis was there from Warner Records of the 70’s and 80’s. And we hugged and reminisced. And Cathy Tiffany and the “Girls Gone Mild,” almost squealed with delight. My Susan smiled shyly.
I got up early next morning to hang out with my old friend Steve Edwards and chat on air with him for an hour. Steve put together a beautiful hour of my music during the station’s public radio fundraiser. There were times he made me real emotional with his smart insightful selections out of my entire catalog. He’s brilliant.

What a wonderful weekend in Las Vegas. I’ll take that time every time. Hugs and kisses again to the Las Vegas audience. You were fantastic.

Love,

Al

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