View basket “A Modern Jazz Symposium Of Music & Poetry” has been added to your basket. Ellington Al Jarreau & NDR Bigband SKU: ACTLP9060-1 Barcode: 0614427906014 29.00 £29.00 Genre: Jazz Label: ACT Released Date: 8th November 2024 Buying Format: 2LP Forthcoming Pre Order Add to your Wishlist Description Product Info Al Jarreau always said he sang Al Jarreau music, and he truly was one of a kind: his six GRAMMY awards and nineteen nominations as Best Vocalist cover no fewer than three categories – jazz, pop and R&B – in other words, musical genres didn’t really concern him. “Music may well fall into categories for other people, and I understand that,” he said, “but for me, if I like a song, I have to do it, and that’s that. If you come to my concerts, I sit on your shoulder and whisper in your ear. I open minds and walk through many doors.” This kind of rich, descriptive imagery evokes the flights of vocal fantasy which his singing was capable of at any moment. He could suddenly take a song in new and unexpected directions. He used to explain it thus: “If there is a backbone to what I do, it’s the jazz vernacular.” “I saw Al Jarreau for the first time in the Troubadour in Los Angeles in 1974 and was instantly hooked by his voice and his stage presence,” ACT founder Siggi Loch recalls. “The next day I went to see Mo Ostin, President of WEA, to convince him to sign him.” After encountering initial resistance, Loch was given the go-ahead and Jarreau’s debut album for WEA, ‘We Got By’, was released in 1975. ‘We Got By’ won the German Record Critics’ Award and his first German tour sold out large concert halls. Jarreau’s long association with NDR prompted Jörg Achim Keller, chief conductor of the NDR Bigband, to suggest a collaboration with the singer in 2016, “Doing a production with Al and Ellington’s music was something I had wanted to do since the early 2000’s,” he remembers. “Al’s reaction was very positive from the start.” Jörg prepared a list of some hundred Ellington titles and, as Jarreau later recalled, “We just went down the list, and it was a case of, ‘Oh, that one works for me,’ and ‘Let’s do this one as an old gut-bucket blues – what was important for me was to find myself inside the music and maybe make a different kind of statement about Ellington so people could hear the music in a different way from anything they had heard before.” In writing the charts, Jörg was careful to respect Jarreau’s approach to the material by giving him space. Tracks such as ‘I’m Beginning to See the Light’ or ‘I Got It Bad (and that Ain’t Good)’ also give the band’s soloists headroom to give of their very best. “These are highly evolved, intelligent soloists who can play with anybody in the world,” said Jarreau. “They’re pushing me, and I love the push, and they’re making me sound like a real singer!” Jarreau and the band toured the music during the latter part of 2016, “There was still some fine-tuning going on during the tour, from concert to concert,” Jörg added with a smile. “He loved doing those ballads – and each one had a different feel. ‘Come Sunday’ was very important to him, though. That chart was reworked twice before he was finally happy with it! On some songs, he went for a pure ballad style – ‘I Got It Bad (and that Ain’t Good),’ some tunes were put into a pop / R&B bag (‘Lush Life,’ ‘Come Sunday’) and he loved that ‘old gutbucket blues’ feel of ‘I Ain’t Got Nothing but the Blues.’” Looking back on those sessions and tour, Jörg says, “It was Al’s style and personality that held it all together. The whole thing was a true combination of Jarreau’s and Ellington’s musical mastery – it appealed to audiences all over Europe, they loved the programme.” This feeling is echoed by Siggi Loch, who caught Jarreau with the NDR Bigband in Paris, “It was obvious that he really enjoyed performing this music and he did it with so much energy and emotion, it was a joy to see and hear. Sadly, Al was to pass away only a few months later.” In many ways, ‘Ellington’ closes a circle: it feels very right that Jarreau’s final album should be released on ACT, the label founded by Siggi Loch, whose strong and unwavering advocacy for the singer originally set him on the road to superstardom. And the fact that it was recorded by broadcaster NDR and their in-house big band is a fitting reminder that this was the very broadcaster whose TV programme had once made Jarreau famous in Germany overnight. Furthermore, just like ‘Look to the Rainbow’ which was Jarreau’s international breakthrough album, ‘Ellington’ was also recorded live. Sometimes there are threads of connection between events which at first appear to be unrelated, and the result turns out to be not just special and magical, but also meaningful and deeply affecting. It certainly has done here. Artist Al Jarreau & NDR Bigband Genre Jazz Label ACT Buying Options 2LP Format 2LP Condition New Country UK Track Listings Drop Me off in Harlem I Let a Song Go out of My Heart Lush Life Come Sunday In a Mellow Tone Take the 'A' Train I'm Beginning to See the Light Sophisticated Lady Ain't Got Nothing but the Blues I Got It Bad Satin Doll Share this On Facebook On Twitter Via Email More from Jazz View Product Quick View Felbm Tape 3/Tape 4 Jazz | Soundway | 1LP Released 16th October 2020 £15.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Felbm Tape 3/Tape 4 £15.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Soundway SKU: SNDWLP139 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 16th October 2020 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Hank Garland Jazz Winds From A New Direction Jazz | Speakers Corner | 180g, 1LP Released 2nd March 2015 £34.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Hank Garland Jazz Winds From A New Direction £34.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Speakers Corner SKU: CS8372 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 2nd March 2015 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Art Blakey Moanin Jazz | Blue Note | 1LP Released 19th October 2015 £21.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Art Blakey Moanin £21.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Blue Note SKU: 4734758 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 19th October 2015 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Sun Ra And His Mythic Science Arkestra The Paris Tapes (Live 1971) Jazz | Kindred Spirits | 1LP Released 30th September 2010 £12.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Sun Ra And His Mythic Science Arkestra The Paris Tapes (Live 1971) £12.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Kindred Spirits SKU: KSAY6NLP Formats: 1LP Released Date: 30th September 2010 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Miles Davis Quintet Steamin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet Jazz | Craft Recordings | 1LP Released 24th November 2023 £26.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Miles Davis Quintet Steamin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet £26.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Craft Recordings SKU: 1863911 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 24th November 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Dee Dee Bridgewater Memphis, Yes I’m Ready Jazz | Music On Vinyl | 180g, 2LP Released 8th December 2017 £29.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Dee Dee Bridgewater Memphis, Yes I’m Ready £29.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Music On Vinyl SKU: MOVLP2017 Formats: 180g, 2LP Released Date: 8th December 2017 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Lester Young Jazz At The Philharmonic: Lester Young Carnegie Blues Jazz | Verve | 180g, 1LP Released 20th April 2018 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Lester Young Jazz At The Philharmonic: Lester Young Carnegie Blues £20.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Verve SKU: 6725023 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 20th April 2018 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Duke Ellington meets Count Basie Battle Royal Jazz | Waxtime | 180g, 1LP Released 28th July 2016 £17.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Duke Ellington meets Count Basie Battle Royal £17.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Waxtime SKU: LP771735 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 28th July 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers Moanin’ Jazz | Blue Note | 180g, 1LP Released 9th April 2021 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers Moanin’ £20.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Blue Note SKU: 746568 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 9th April 2021 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Max Roach We Insist! 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