Biography
ENGLISH BIOGRAPHY
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12.03.1940 |
Birth of Al Jarreau, as a preachers son (son of a vicar),
in Milwaukee-Wisconsin USA. He was the 5th of 6 children. The whole family was highly interessted in music and all were singing themselves. Especially his brothers inspired him. In his early years, being a kid, he strated being interessted in improvisations. Al always wanted to become a preacher like his father. Being a kid Al was extremly religious! At the end of his highschool time and the beginning of his college years it seemed as if Al would become a Sportsman (Basketball/Baseball) but - good luck for us - he went to the college and did not become a sportsman. Doing his studies in psychologie he did his first gigs during the college years, His first trio was named indigos! |
| 1966 | In 1966 Al made his master degree in psychologie! He went to SanFrancisco and worked as a social worker. He didn't like this job and did it only for 2 years. |
| 1968 |
In 1968 he stopped working as a social worker and started
being a fulltime musician - a profi-musician. YEAH - ONCE AGAIN GOOD LUCK FOR
US! At first he played with Julio Martinez in Sausalito at Gatsby's. End of 1968 he moved to Los Angeles. Being guest musician in New York, he made the knowledge of the young Qunicy-Jones. In the following years Al tried to get a contract with a recording company - but he didn't succed. It was the time of Rock'n'Roll and nearly no one, especially no young people, was interessted in Al's music or in Jazz at that time. - Rock'n'Roll ... nothing but Rock'n'Roll!! |
| 1971 |
In 1971 Al moved again, this time he went to California. At least time went by up to winter of 1974/75. In this special winter 2 scouts from WB (Warner Brothers) saw and heard Al. They were convinced by Al's talent and by his special charisma. This took place at Troubadour in Hollywood. 'GOOD LUCK - PUUH!!' Al got a contract at once. The contract should last for over 20 years. |
| 1975 |
In 1975 Al's first regular Album "We got by" was published.
Al was already 35 years 'young' and it was the beginning
"We got by" was not very succesful until Sigi Loch brought Al to Hamburg into the "Onkel Poe's". |
| 12.03.1976 |
It was Al's 36th birthday, when he preformed his legendary
concert at "Onkel Poe's". The concert was named "Super Soulshow"! This concert was the start to Al's carrer! It was followed by an european tour. Al got super critics. He was named 'The man with the orchester in his voice', 'Wondervoice from USA' and and and ... . Al improvised instruments and melodies as he wanted to. In those days Al first preformed one of his alltime most famous 'TAKE FIVE'. Take five is a really great one, but for Al it is very hard, cause from then on all his fans always wanted to hear this song! Al Jarreau was never only a musician, he always was and he always is an entertainer. Standing on stage, Al has fun in supporting, in talking to and with the fans and having fun with his band. This creats the special live performances in the years he started his superb career, in 1976, he remarked, that he fears to become a clown of his special virousity! 'But he did well!' |
| 1977 | In 1977 Al got his first grammys as best singer and for best jazz vocal performance. He got both for his live Album "Look to the rainbow - live in europe". |
| 1978 |
His third grammy, for best jazz vocal performance he got
in 1970 for the album "All fly home". At the end of the 70's Al tried to change his music a ltlle, in order td be heard by more poeple. He created his own sound, somewhere between jazz, pop, rythm and blues. The Jazz purists didn't like it and wrote more and more bad critics ... but the audience loved Al's music! ' That's really important! ' Al himself called the music 'Youmbination music' or 'Jarreau-Music'. Al Jarreau wanted to make his music and he did. He wanted and he still wants to be influenced and on the other hand influence other by his music! In result his albums went to be 'Jarreau-Music', a mix of pop, funk and soul, rythm and blues, salsa, jazz,... His music His live performances always were and still are very very jazzy, but in first live they are Al-Jarreau-performances! |
| 1981 | In 1981 Al got 2 more grammys, jazz vocal and best male pop vocalist, for his platin album 'Breakin' away! |
| 1985 | A second live recording, live in London, (Recorded At Wembley) was published in 1985. |
| 1987 | The chartbreaker 'Moonlighting', a title song of a tu-serie came out in 1987 |
| 1992 |
In 1992 Al got a grammy for 'Heaven and Earth'. It was
a grammy for best R&B vocal performance. Al Jarreau is the
only singer who got all grammys in all 3 categories,
|
| 1994 |
In 1994 Al Jarreau fullfilled himself a dream. He recorded
Only to mention some: Paulinho da costa, Steve Gadd, Joe Sample, David Sanborn ... The Album is called 'Tenderness'. |
| 1996 | In 1996 the first 'Best of' Album of Al Jarreau was published by Warner Brothers. It was Al's last album for WB cause he finished his contract to WB. In the last years Al Jarreau did a lot of different live performances. He joined musicians or night of the proms as guest musicians, he did performances with orchestres and he filled all kinds of concer places. |
| 1998 | In 1998 he signed to Verve/GRP. This contract should give Al new possibilities to realise the music which is still in his heart and maybe also in his head. Signing to Verve he got a new musician Family, but some old friends. For example: Tommy li puma! |
| 2000 | At the beginning of 2000 his first Verve/GRP album was released. It's called Tomorrow Today and it is new 'Jarreau-Music-stuff'. |
