The only vocalist in history to net Grammy awards in three different
categories (jazz, pop, and R&B, respectively), Al Jarreau was born in Milwaukee,
WI, on April 12, 1940. The son of a vicar, he earned his first performing
experience singing in the church choir. After receiving his master's degree in
psychology, Al Jarreau pursued a career as a social worker, but eventually he
decided to relocate to Los Angeles and try his hand in show business, playing
small clubs throughout the West Coast.
He recorded an LP in the mid-'60s, but largely remained an unknown, not
reentering the studio for another decade. Upon signing to Reprise, Al Jarreau
resurfaced in 1975 with We Got By, earning acclaim for his sophisticated brand
of vocalese and winning positive comparison to the likes of Billy Eckstine and
Johnny Mathis. After 1976's Glow, Al Jarreau issued the following year's Look to
the Rainbow, a two-disc live set that reached the Top 50 on the U.S. album
charts. With 1981's Breakin' Away, he entered the Top Ten, scoring a pair of
hits with "We're in This Love Together" and the title track. After recording
1986's L Is for Lover with producer Nile Rodgers, Al Jarreau scored a hit with the
theme to the popular television program Moonlighting, but his mainstream pop
success was on the wane, and subsequent efforts like 1992's Heaven and Earth and
1994's Tenderness found greater success with adult contemporary audiences.
A string of budget compilations and original albums hit the shelves at the
end of the decade, but into the turn of the century his original output slowed
down. That was until he signed with the Verve/GRP label in 1998 and reunited
with producer Tommy LiPuma. LiPuma had produced Al Jarreau's ostensible 1975 debut,
We Got By, and the pairing seemed to reinvigorate Al Jarreau, who went on to
release three stellar albums under LiPuma's guidance, including 2000's Tomorrow
Today, 2002's All I Got, and Accentuate the Positive in 2004. ~ Jason Ankeny,
All Music Guide
Contact Grabow for more information or to book Al Jarreau for
your next corporate or private event.
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