Al Jarreau promises night of uplifting music for fans

The jazz, pop and R&B artist released his first album in 1975.

By JOHN BENSON

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

CLEVELAND — Nothing short of time travel is what Al Jarreau is promising fans attending his benefit show tonight at Severance Hall’s Reinberger Chamber.

“Because I have this magic dust I spread in the hall when I go there, it becomes another world that my fans know about,” said Jarreau, calling from his Los Angeles home. “We get off the ground and take a trip. We all get abducted and go someplace, and when the show is done, there’s missing time.

“It’s just started and then it’s an hour and a half later. That’s what happens.”

This blink-of-an-eye phenomenon also pertains to Jarreau’s storied career as a jazz, pop and R&B artist. The singer’s mainstream musical journey began just over 30 years ago with the release of his 1975 Reprise Records debut “We Got By.” By 1981, the Wisconsin native known for his scat singing and crooning scored a smash album with “Breakin’ Away,” which included hit track “We’re in This Love Together.”

A few years later he penned the Grammy nominated theme to ’80s television show “Moonlighting” and even contributed his vocals as a featured artist on the USA for Africa’s song “We Are The World.”

What may be lost on some music fans is the fact Jarreau is a seven-time Grammy Award-winning artist, who is the only vocalist to win in three separate categories: jazz, pop and R&B. He also has won a Grammy Award in four consecutive decades.

His most recent win came last year for the album “Givin’ it Up,” which he recorded with George Benson. The duo’s song “God Bless The Child,” which featured Jill Scott, won the Grammy Award for the Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance. 

“That’s awesome for me and for George,” Jarreau said. “That’s certainly very satisfying and at the same time, it’s a great kind of encouragement and acknowledgment that what you’re doing still works and you’re growing your audience. It’s what we hope for.”

Where are all of these Grammy Awards taking up space in his house?

“They’re on the bed stand, so I can wake up and look at them,” Jarreau laughed. “They’re around the house so I can remind myself to stay in the gig.”

Today, the 67-year-old artist is currently working on a new Christmas album, as well as a career retrospective. Both albums are due out this year. This is in addition to the recent release of his best-of set “Love Songs,” which includes soft favorites such as “We’re In This Love Together,” “Teach Me Tonight,” a cover of Elton John’s “Your Song,” “After All,” “Not Like This” and more.

“I suppose I could have and maybe should have done this a long time ago,” Jarreau said. “I think people in my audience love the ballads as much as they love my scatting and bebopping around. It could have been a project of brand-new love songs, but we decided here’s a whole batch of things that people have listened to over the years and why don’t we put them together in a collection.”

The singer said he’s looking forward to not only returning to Northeast Ohio, where he fondly remembers getting his start in the mid-’70s at Swingos Keg & Quarter, but promoting “Love Songs” to his loyal audience.