Best of Al Jarreau - Jarreau, Al (CD 1996)

Sometimes I really miss the old days. When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s, it seemed like I could listen to the radio and hear a huge range of music on one channel. I'd hear a song by a hard rock band like Queen followed by one by a disco group like The Spinners. Or I'd hear a song by pop princess Olivia Newton-John followed by a jazzier artist like Al Jarreau...

To be totally honest, I don't know a whole lot about Al Jarreau's career. However, I did know enough about his music to purchase his 1996 Warner Brothers compilation, Best of Al Jarreau. This disc consists of sixteen songs and runs for just over an hour. It has all of Al Jarreau's radio hits I remember from growing up plus some other great stuff I had never heard before. Although this CD appears to be out of print, it must have done fairly well back when it first came out. I remember buying a bootleg cassette version of it in Armenia before I replaced it with a CD upon returning home.

I've always thought of Al Jarreau's music as sort of a hybrid of jazz, gospel, R&B, and pop. Somehow, he mixes everything together so that it's appealing and interesting. I can't listen to this CD and not think of the good old days.

Best of Al Jarreau includes the following tracks:

1. Compared to What- I had never heard this energetic jazzy song until I bought this CD, but it's turned out to be a favorite track. This is a great song to exercise to with its steady uptempo beat and Jarreau's rangy singing.

2. Goodhands Tonight- This song starts off slow and pensive, then erupts into a soulful jazzy creation, simmering with horns and Jarreau's silky smooth vocals. Where "Compared To What" was energetic and sassy, "Goodhands Tonight" is sultry and sexy.

3. Agua de Beber- Jarreau shows off his considerable jazz chops on this classic song. Al Jarreau is known for being a great scat singer; he shows off that talent as well as his natural rhythm on this track. The mood is sexy and fun, especially when Jarreau perfectly imitates a bassline by scatting.

4. Take Five- For some reason, whenever I hear the classic jazz tune "Take Five", I think of Washington, DC's local TV channel 5 (WTTG), which used the song as a station identification jingle back in the late 70s. Al Jarreau's version doesn't sound quite the same as the one WTTG used. In fact, it's much more interesting as Jarreau uses his body and voice as separate instruments by scatting and percussion. As a singer, I am amazed by Al Jarreau's ability to use his voice the way he does, breathe, and still sound so good!

5. Spain (I Can Recall)- This song is still jazzy, but it's a little more contemporary. Jarreau treats it less like classic jazz and more like R&B, his vocals effortlessly handling the challenging rhythms on this song. Still, when I listen to it, I can't help but think of the romance and sensuality of Spain.

6. Never Givin' Up- This song sounds like more of a pop song from the early 80s, although it still has plenty of jazz kick. It's the chorus that really sounds a bit dated circa 1980.

7. Roof Garden- "Roof Garden" is a playful song that shows off Jarreau's vocal virtuosity, coupled with synthesizers and horns. Jarreau adopts kind of a nasal tone on this track, as if he's trying to imitate an electric guitar until he starts to scat.

8. We're In This Love Together- This song is, to me, one of Jarreau's best known songs. I remember this love song being popular back in the early 80s. Vocally, it's not as challenging as some of the other songs on this compilation, but the melody was perfect for 1980s era radio and Jarreau's delivery is straightforward and sweet as honey. It brings back nice memories.

9. Mornin'- As the title suggests, this is a great song to listen to in the morning. "Mornin'" has a light, breezy, energetic, inspirational vibe lead by a memorable guitar, jangly keyboards, and Jarreau's soaring vocals.

10. Boogie Down- Jarreau gets funky on this track. I can't listen to this song and not remember the 80s. It sounds like it was made for break dancing! Anyway, this song features synthesizes, horns, and a very precise rhythm punctuated by hand clapping and Jarreau's capable backup singers. Though this song is very dated, the catchy rhythm is hard to resist.

11. Moonlighting (Theme)- I was never a fan of the 1980s TV show starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd, but I have fond memories of Al Jarreau's performance on the sexy, jazzy romantic theme song.

12. Since I Fell For You- "Since I Fell For You" is a classic song that has been performed by plenty of singers over the years. Al Jarreau treats this song with quiet intensity, not getting too carried away with vocal gymnastics. He's backed up by David Sanborn on saxophone.

13. After All- This is a slightly more contemporary ballad and Jarreau sings it softly and intently. "After All" was recorded in 1984, and it sounds like music from that era. David Foster plays piano and synthesizer and his recognizable stamp is all over this track.

14. So Good- "So Good" highlights David Sanborn on saxophone. When I hear this song, I can tell Jarreau spent a lot of time singing in church. Although this is a love song, Jarreau's vocal style sounds a little gospel on this passionate, elegant song.

15. Heaven and Earth- "Heaven and Earth" is from 1992 and features more of an updated sound. There are still lots of synthesizers and electronic instruments on this track, but they no longer sound quite as dated. Jarreau's style is more R&B and adult contemporary here, as if he were aiming for the quiet storm set.

16. Like A Lover- Best of Al Jarreau winds down with this mystical track from 1994. Again, it sounds more R&B than jazz, with a soft, dreamy melody and Jarreau's gentle vocals.

Best of Al Jarreau offers a very nice collection of songs. Listening to it as a whole, I think of this CD as being comparable to the month of March. It blazes in like a lion with the frenetic "Compared to What" and floats out like a lamb with the gentle, sweet "Like A Lover". This CD shows Al Jarreau's considerable artistic range, with jazzy numbers, pop and R&B songs, and even a couple of tracks that offer a glimpse of his gospel roots. The only drawback I can think of regarding this CD is that it's out of print and may be very hard to find. But for my purposes as a very casual Al Jarreau fan, this compilation is great!

Al Jarreau's Web site: www.aljarreau.com