Vocalist Al Jarreau’s career has followed the money trail, taking him from jazz to pop, R&B, and adult-contemporary audiences. But his singing is so true and his style so classy that he excels at everything and has taken home Grammys in the first three of those categories. On All I Got,Jarreau comes up with a set of gentle tunes that sound as easy and expansive as if...
Read moreVocalist Al Jarreau’s career has followed the money trail, taking him from jazz to pop, R&B, and adult-contemporary audiences. But his singing is so true and his style so classy that he excels at everything and has taken home Grammys in the first three of those categories. On All I Got,Jarreau comes up with a set of gentle tunes that sound as easy and expansive as if several generations of a family were casually gathered for a singing session. “Life Is” begins with the rootsy feel of Oscar Brown Jr., then flowers into today's sounds with layers of vocals and a loud, solid beat. “Random Act of Love” is a smooth-jazz anthem, the touchy-feely lyrics grounded by Jarreau’s gospel roots. Plucked strings, programmed beats, and a bed of voices give way for Jarreau’s interpretation of the Seal tune “Feels like Heaven to Me.” For a ‘60s flashback, Brit rocker Joe Cocker shares vocals with Jarreau on “Lost and Found.” The ballad of the outing, “Oasis,” a Jarreau original, isn’t about love but about the ephemeral things in life. The lyrics are lovely and poetic, and Jarreau delivers them with his high-pitched voice soaring as if it too were reaching for that heavenly spot that is never quite attainable. For old-school fans, Jarreau ends with a hipster version of “Route 66.” All I Got is just that, a sampling of the many sides and sounds of Al Jarreau’s talents.
Brand: GRP RECORDS
