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Al Jarreau: Wow: Live at the Childe Harold

By Mark Corroto
December 17, 2024
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Al Jarreau: Wow: Live at the Childe Harold

Al Jarreau gained nationwide recognition with the theme to the 1985 hit television show "Moonlighting," which starred Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis. He also had a chart-topping single "We're In This Love Together." Before he was a pop star, R&B singer, and a successful cross-over artist, Al Jarreau was the purest of jazz talents. He gained recognition with his breakthrough record Look To The Rainbow: Live In Europe (Warner Bros., 1977). Jarreau was part

Jon Hendricks

vocals
1921 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Hendricks and part Sly Stone. He was

Bobby McFerrin

vocals
b.1950

" data-original-title="" title="">Bobby McFerrin before there was a Bobby McFerrin with his vocal gymnastics and sound generator.

This discovered gem, recorded at the Washington, D.C. club "Childe Harold" on August 13, 1976, predated the singer's meteoric rise, yet had all the ingredients his fans would grow to love. Jarreau performs five songs we hear later on Look To The Rainbow. Each is fully formed and just as compelling. Opening with his composition "Letter Perfect," Jarreau is introduced by Tim Canning's electric piano before he dives bossa headfirst into a scatting word scrabble. Jarreau was a man of his time, covering and transforming James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" into a soul ballad and Leon Russell's "Rainbow In Your Eyes" into an exploration of his funky vocalese. His introduction to

Dave Brubeck

piano
1920 - 2012

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Brubeck's "Take Five" is part-scat and part-stumbling story that opens with his sotto voice covering all the instruments. Once his backing players enter, he spins a rapid magnetic web of lyrics and voice that becomes just another instrument soloing.

He delves into some spiritual gospel sounds with "Lock All The Gates" and "Alladin's Lamp." There is a brief dip into

Jon Hendricks

vocals
1921 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Hendricks' "Gimme That Wine" and a cover of

Frank Foster

saxophone
1928 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Foster's "Shiny Stockings" composed for the

Count Basie

piano
1904 - 1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Count Basie band. Jarreau, snapping fingers, pays tribute to his vocal elders, singing in the tradition of Hendricks and

Ella Fitzgerald

vocals
1917 - 1996

" data-original-title="" title="">Ella Fitzgerald. He finishes the set with two tunes that became classics: "You Don't See Me" and "We Got By." Here, Jarreau foretells his future as a Grammy winner in the jazz, pop, and R&B categories.

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Track Listing

Letter Perfect; Rainbow in Your Eyes; Fire and Rain; Intro to Take Five; Take Five; Lock All the Gates; Gimme That Wine; Shiny Stockings; Aladdin's Lamp; You Don't See Me; We Got By.

Personnel

Al Jarreau

vocals

Ben Atkins

bass

Tom Drake

drums

Tom Canning

organ, Hammond B3

Additional Instrumentation

Tom Canning: fender rhodes, electric piano, arp string ensemble.

Album information

Title: Wow! Live at the Childe Harold | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Resonance Records

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