About Al Jarreau: Alwin "Al" Lopez Jarreau is an American jazz singer.
Before I get out of bed, I am saying thank you. I know how important it is to be thankful.
Learn it well in your head, know it well, pick things you know and bring the old you and all the experience you have from singing these various kinds of feelings that are still related to what I have done in the rest of my career.
Jazz told people about the special music that came out of America and about America in general and this kind of liberty and freedom that we have.
I had five brothers and sisters. Four of them older, and some of them played instruments, and we would get together and have family recitals and raise money for the church. I belonged to a wonderful church community that encouraged me to sing.
I'm really looking forward to it because it will give me the opportunity to do the whole other kind of approach to the music live that I haven't had a chance to do. and I think is important for me to do.
What I try to get beyond is playing music at people and, instead, to play music with people because audience members are constantly part of the experience. What they say in their body language, what they say in their eyes, what they sing with me... i...
These songs are old friends I have entertained myself with when I'm washing the dishes, driving to the store and walking down the aisles. The ones that you sing when you're driving in the car and as a singer you always go back to them.
We are just fanatics about using the technology to make it all wonderful. We laughed at the fact that we were having such a great time working this way.
That's Tommy, this great producer who comes in contact with people and must have a mental library of personnel who are great for this and great for that, and he brought this whole group of musicians to the project that I'd never worked with before.
I was really learning my craft as a jazz singer and working with some great players and all, really growing and feeling my wings.
I slept fourteen feet from a polka tavern as a kid growing up. I heard polkas all night long, people singing and drinking beers and having a great time. I know more polkas than Frankie Yancovic!
I'm a Buckeye at heart. I spend more time giving concerts in Ohio than I do in any other state - perhaps more time than I spend performing anywhere else in the world. I have a great relationship with the people of Ohio, and it's great to be near the ...
Obviously given good health, and a continuing audience and a record company that allows me to do music. So given those things yes, I'm introducing some new music that people haven't really heard me do in quite this fashion.
Every good gospel singer you can hear is a scat singer; they're just using different syllables. There are a lot of jazz singers out there, and more coming out of the churches.
I say what's on my mind and have a good time. I try to give people a show. It's all about giving people a good time once you get out under those lights.
I don't know where we got the notion that God wants us to suffer. Every living thing tends toward the good or we would have been gone a long time ago.
It's a wonderful thing to have life and to look at all this creation and say thank you. I even say it on stage.
I can't imagine a more ideal life.
I love connecting with the audience, and there's more ways than one to do that.
I love Sly Stone and James Brown and Stevie Wonder, and I want my music to reflect some of that.
