View basket “Bags’ Groove” 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 Big John Patton Let ‘Em Roll Jazz | Blue Note | 180g, 1LP, Includes Download Code Released 6th June 2016 £14.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Big John Patton Let ‘Em Roll £14.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Blue Note SKU: 4768806 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Includes Download Code Released Date: 6th June 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Thelonious Monk Quartet Thelonious Alone in San Francisco Jazz | Concord / USM | 1LP Released 6th June 2018 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Thelonious Monk Quartet Thelonious Alone in San Francisco £20.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Concord / USM SKU: 7237037 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 6th June 2018 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Thelonious Monk Underground Jazz | ORG | 180g, 1LP Released 17th June 2014 £35.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Thelonious Monk Underground £35.00 Genre: Jazz Label: ORG SKU: OMLP2007 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 17th June 2014 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View 1982 A/B Jazz | Hubro | 180g, 1LP, Includes CD Released 28th April 2014 £17.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders 1982 A/B £17.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Hubro SKU: HUBROLP3532 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Includes CD Released Date: 28th April 2014 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Miles Davis Miles Smiles Jazz | Mobile Fidelity | 180g, 2LP, 45rpm, Gatefold Sleeve Released 28th August 2019 £75.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Miles Davis Miles Smiles £75.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Mobile Fidelity SKU: MFSL2-486 Formats: 180g, 2LP, 45rpm, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 28th August 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Dinah Washington Dinah Jams Jazz | Down At Dawn | 1LP Released 27th July 2018 £15.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Dinah Washington Dinah Jams £15.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Down At Dawn SKU: DAD103 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 27th July 2018 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Wayne Shorter Schizophrenia (Tone Poet) Jazz | Blue Note Tone Poet | 180g, 1LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released 15th September 2023 £36.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Wayne Shorter Schizophrenia (Tone Poet) £36.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Blue Note Tone Poet SKU: 4849853 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 15th September 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Ella Fitzgerald Live At The Concertgebouw, 1961 (The Lost Recordings) Jazz | The Lost Recordings | CD Released 1st June 2021 £19.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Ella Fitzgerald Live At The Concertgebouw, 1961 (The Lost Recordings) £19.00 Genre: Jazz Label: The Lost Recordings SKU: FON1704027 Formats: CD Released Date: 1st June 2021 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket View Product Quick View Billie Holiday Songs For Distingue Lovers Jazz | Analogue Productions | 180g, 2LP, 45rpm, Gatefold Sleeve Released 16th June 2012 £65.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Billie Holiday Songs For Distingue Lovers £65.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Analogue Productions SKU: AVRJ602145 Formats: 180g, 2LP, 45rpm, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 16th June 2012 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket View Product Quick View Miles Davis Get Up With It Jazz | Music On Vinyl | 180g, 2LP Released 29th January 2016 £34.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Miles Davis Get Up With It £34.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Music On Vinyl SKU: MOVLP1513 Formats: 180g, 2LP Released Date: 29th January 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders See more in Jazz Start again
View Product Quick View Big John Patton Let ‘Em Roll Jazz | Blue Note | 180g, 1LP, Includes Download Code Released 6th June 2016 £14.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Big John Patton Let ‘Em Roll £14.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Blue Note SKU: 4768806 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Includes Download Code Released Date: 6th June 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Thelonious Monk Quartet Thelonious Alone in San Francisco Jazz | Concord / USM | 1LP Released 6th June 2018 £20.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Thelonious Monk Quartet Thelonious Alone in San Francisco £20.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Concord / USM SKU: 7237037 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 6th June 2018 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Thelonious Monk Underground Jazz | ORG | 180g, 1LP Released 17th June 2014 £35.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Thelonious Monk Underground £35.00 Genre: Jazz Label: ORG SKU: OMLP2007 Formats: 180g, 1LP Released Date: 17th June 2014 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View 1982 A/B Jazz | Hubro | 180g, 1LP, Includes CD Released 28th April 2014 £17.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders 1982 A/B £17.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Hubro SKU: HUBROLP3532 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Includes CD Released Date: 28th April 2014 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Miles Davis Miles Smiles Jazz | Mobile Fidelity | 180g, 2LP, 45rpm, Gatefold Sleeve Released 28th August 2019 £75.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Miles Davis Miles Smiles £75.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Mobile Fidelity SKU: MFSL2-486 Formats: 180g, 2LP, 45rpm, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 28th August 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Dinah Washington Dinah Jams Jazz | Down At Dawn | 1LP Released 27th July 2018 £15.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Dinah Washington Dinah Jams £15.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Down At Dawn SKU: DAD103 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 27th July 2018 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Wayne Shorter Schizophrenia (Tone Poet) Jazz | Blue Note Tone Poet | 180g, 1LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released 15th September 2023 £36.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Wayne Shorter Schizophrenia (Tone Poet) £36.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Blue Note Tone Poet SKU: 4849853 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 15th September 2023 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders
View Product Quick View Ella Fitzgerald Live At The Concertgebouw, 1961 (The Lost Recordings) Jazz | The Lost Recordings | CD Released 1st June 2021 £19.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Ella Fitzgerald Live At The Concertgebouw, 1961 (The Lost Recordings) £19.00 Genre: Jazz Label: The Lost Recordings SKU: FON1704027 Formats: CD Released Date: 1st June 2021 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket
View Product Quick View Billie Holiday Songs For Distingue Lovers Jazz | Analogue Productions | 180g, 2LP, 45rpm, Gatefold Sleeve Released 16th June 2012 £65.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Billie Holiday Songs For Distingue Lovers £65.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Analogue Productions SKU: AVRJ602145 Formats: 180g, 2LP, 45rpm, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 16th June 2012 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket
View Product Quick View Miles Davis Get Up With It Jazz | Music On Vinyl | 180g, 2LP Released 29th January 2016 £34.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Miles Davis Get Up With It £34.00 Genre: Jazz Label: Music On Vinyl SKU: MOVLP1513 Formats: 180g, 2LP Released Date: 29th January 2016 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders