Happy New Year/Years In Review

From the Webmaster:
In a recent conversation with Al, he mentioned his surprise at the number of people who were directly asking him what he’s been up to. I’ve decided to provide a recap review of Al’s work since releasing his ‘Best Of’ collection cataloguing everything from the first record forward. The following will be a hopefully brief review since that release in 1996.

I realize that most of the people who visit his website regularly are up-to-date on what’s been going on, reading his blog and getting updates. But so that there is a more personal and detailed roundup all in one place beyond what’s in the bio, this update is being put together.

Over just the past 3 years, Al has released 3 albums, toured in hundreds of cities including those in over 30 countries, and in the process has shared his music with millions of fans. His multinational appeal and love for exploring different cultures has brought him to many new areas that he’d never visited, from small towns like Vauvert, France to huge countries like China. As his career has progressed, so has his interest in finding new listeners by bringing the music to them personally.

In 2008, he released as a Valentine’s gift to his wife the appropriately titled Love Songs album, featuring several of his favorite love songs with a uniquely Jarreau twist. Later that same year, he recorded a long-requested Christmas Album, that with arrangements from some of his closest friends and musicians, captivates and blends brilliantly the spirit of both musical intricacy and festive playfulness that embodies Al as a person and as a singer. The following year, hearing regular requests for hard-to-find songs from out-of-print albums, Al put together a compilation of some of his favorites to date, and even snatched the opportunity to share some new music he’d been working on. A bonus track, Excellent Adventure became to the title song for the new collection, Excellent Adventure: The Very Best of Al Jarreau. Even when Al’s on the road and not focusing the bulk of his effort on an upcoming album release, he is always finding time to practice his passion for songwriting, as evidenced by his collaboration in late summer 2010 with Brazilian Italian keyboardist Eumir Deodato. In the middle of his 6 week European tour, Al was approached to collaborate on a song. Upon hearing it, he immediately set out to write a lyric, and a few short weeks later in Germany, he recorded the song Double Face, which reached top ten in several countries’ Jazz charts. He is currently in the studio working on an entirely new album to be released in 2011.

The release of a new album always brings about new touring opportunities, and that is exactly what happened after the release of the Jarreau/Benson project Givin’ It Up. In 2008, Al and George continued a tour they had started a year earlier, and this time extended deeper into Southeast Asia. Very surprisingly, in all Al’s years of touring, he first stepped foot into China on this tour. Other untouched shores were reached in 2008, including Guyana, Guadeloupe, and Latvia. He had begun a concerted effort to visit new people and look them in the eye and thank them for listening to his music for so many years. This effort continued into the following two years, with tours planned specifically to visit small out-of-the-way towns in Germany, Austria, and France, in addition to those larger cities that Al has always enjoyed visiting since his early career.

With so many concerts, and Al’s passion for performing, it is hard to pick out just a few highlights over the past few years. (But I will.) In 2008, Al performed in tributes to Aretha Franklin and Quincy Jones, both of whose tremendous impact on the music industry Al appreciates, and wanted to acknowledge in the best way he knows how. That same year, he headlined the Playboy Jazz Fest at the Hollywood Bowl with Herbie Hancock. A year later, he shared The Greek Theater with long-time friend Brian McKnight, who years earlier when he was a kid was listening to and making music in Al’s living room. And in 2010, Al performed for the first time in Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. More than just one concert, he brought his career to somewhat of a full circle in 2010 in performing on several occasions with the George Duke Trio. He and George first performed together in the 1960s as young aspiring musicians in San Francisco. This mini-tour of dates is a precursor to a planned larger tour accompanied by the release of vintage live recordings from their early days together. It will give perspective on where they have come from and their early influences on each other.

Outside of performance, Al is very often invited to act as a judge or special guest in various formats, and over the past few years, has judged for the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, appeared on Nouvelle Star (Star Academy) in France, and very proudly gave a fundraiser concert at homecomings at his alma mater Ripon College. He continues to spread his music and spirit wherever he goes.

Incidentally, it’s New Year’s Eve, and I’m glad to be doing this type of review at this time of year to celebrate the past and open the door to the future. Happy New Year!

2000 –TOMORROW TODAY RELEASED

2001
-Concert with longtime friend and Hungarian native Les Czimber in Budapest
-Michael Jackson 30th Anniversary Concert in NYC

2002 –ALL I GOT RELEASED

2003
-First performances in Korea, Tahiti, Fiji, Noumea
-Established Tom Cheeks Memorial Scholarship Fund at UWM
-Tom Joyner Fantastic Voyage Cruise

2004-AL’S JAZZ ALBUM ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE RELEASED
-Verizon’s “Champion of Literacy” campaign
-First performance in Nigeria
-Appearance on Tavis Smiley Show

2005
-First performance at Kremlin, with Larissa Dolina and George Duke
-First performance in St Thomas
-First performance on Grand Cayman and Trinidad

2006-GIVIN’ IT UP RECORD WITH GEORGE BENSON RELEASED
-American Idol finals performing with Paris Bennett
-Ripon College Homecoming concert
-First performances in Mexico City, Tunisia, & Morocco
-Concert to launch “Freedom of the Seas” cruise ship
-Judged Montreux Vocals Competition

2007-WON 2 GRAMMY AWARDS WITH GEORGE BENSON FOR GIVIN’ IT UP ALBUM
-World Tour with George Benson
-Judged Montreux Vocals Competition

2008-LOVE SONGS COMPILATION & AL’S FIRST AND ONLY CHRISTMAS ALBUM
-Southeast Asia tour, including first performances in China
-First performances in Guyana, Guadeloupe, Latvia, Armenia, Slovakia
-Headlined Playboy Jazz Festival
-Appeared at Quincy Jones tributes at Montreux Jazz Festival & NYC
-First concerts with Holland’s Orkestra Metropole
-Judged Star Academy for France Television
-Appearance on Tavis Smiley Show

2009- AN EXCELLENT ADVENTURE: THE VERY BEST OF AL JARREAU RELEASED
-First performance in Estonia
-First Performance in Disney Hall in Los Angeles
-Performance at Greek Theater w/ Brian McKnight

2010
-First performances in Malta, Croatia
-First Concerts with George Duke Trio since 1960s
-Collaboration with Deodato on “Double Face”
-Judged Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocals Competition
-First performance with USAF Airmen of Note big Band