View basket “We’re All Together Again For The First Time (Moble Fidelity Sound Lab)” 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 Various Artists Blue Note Re:imagined II Jazz | Decca | 2LP, Coloured Vinyl Released 30th September 2022 £30.00 Select options Various Artists Blue Note Re:imagined II £30.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Decca Formats: 2LP, Coloured Vinyl Released Date: 30th September 2022 Read More Select options View Product Quick View Dexter Gordon Manhattan Symphonies Jazz | Pure Pleasure | 180g, 2LP Released 11th March 2008 £47.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Dexter Gordon Manhattan Symphonies £47.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Pure Pleasure SKU: PPAN35308 Formats: 180g, 2LP Released Date: 11th March 2008 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Art Taylor A.T’s Delight Jazz | Heavenly Sweetness | 180g, 1LP Released 5th December 2011 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Art Taylor A.T’s Delight £20.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Heavenly Sweetness SKU: HS024VL Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 5th December 2011 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Nat King Cole Just One of Those Things Jazz | Analogue Productions | 180g, 2LP, 45rpm Released 1st September 2010 £65.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Nat King Cole Just One of Those Things £65.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Analogue Productions SKU: APP90345 Formats: 180g, 2LP, 45rpm Released Date: 1st September 2010 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket View Product Quick View Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers Munich 59 Jazz | Birdland | 180g, 1LP, Includes CD Released 6th June 2013 £17.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers Munich 59 £17.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Birdland SKU: BIRD009 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Includes CD Released Date: 6th June 2013 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela Rejoice Jazz | World Circuit | 180g, 1LP Released 20th March 2020 £22.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela Rejoice £22.00 Genre: Jazz Label: World Circuit SKU: 4050538557497 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 20th March 2020 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Opa Goldenwings (Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series) Jazz | Concord | 180g, 1LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released 22nd November 2024 £33.00 Pre Order View Pre/Back Orders Opa Goldenwings (Jazz Dispensary Top Shelf Series) £33.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Concord SKU: CR767 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 22nd November 2024 Read More Pre Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View e.s.t. 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