Al Jarreau
The iconic jazzman—and voice of theMoonlighting theme song—died on Feb. 12.BY MADISON VAIN“WE’RE IN THIS LOVE
TOGETHER” 1981
Jarreau was already
respected in the jazz world
by the time he released
his fifth LP,Breakin’ Away,
in 1981, and it catapulted
him into the mainstream.
“Together,” the album’s
lead single, reached No. 15
on theBillboard Hot 100,
andAway earned Jarreau
his first two Grammys.“ROOF GARDEN” 1981
Also offAway, “Garden” is
one of the grooviest examples
of Jarreau’s vocal styling.
He invites the listener to
“come waltz” with him and to
engage in a “hot steppin’
boogie!” Good luck resisting.“MOONLIGHTING” 1985
For five seasons in the late ’80s,
Jarreau beamed into house-
holds nationwide with the
theme song to the mystery-
comedy starring Bruce Willis
and Cybill Shepherd. Jarreau
co-wrote and performed
the slinky tune, and in 1987 it
even became a Top 40 hit.“COLD DUCK” 2004
After taking most of the ’90s
off from the studio—though
still touring relentlessly—
Jarreau offered longtime fans
a fabulous return to form when
he droppedAccentuate the
Positive, a collection of 1940s
jazz favorites. The album
kicks off with this playful toe-
tapper, originally released
by Eddie Harris.“GOD BLESS THE CHILD”
2006
Givin’ It Up,Jarreau’s late-
career collaboration with jazz
guitarist George Benson,
yielded many charmers, but
none so velvety as this, which
also features Jill Scott’s
divine vocals. Grammy voters
agreed: The song won Jarreau
his sixth Grammy.1(^2)
3
4
5
Revered jazz-pop legend
and seven-time Grammy
winner Al Jarreau died
at age 76 in Los Angeles on Feb. 12,
just two days after announcing
his retirement. He had been
hospitalized two weeks prior for
exhaustion; the cause of death
was not immediately known.
Born Alwin Lopez Jarreau on
March 12, 1940, in Milwaukee, the
son of a minister father and a
piano-teacher mother, Jarreau
spent his youth singing in the local
choir, before graduating to street-
corner doo-wop groups. Music
was a side gig for many years
while he worked as a vocational
rehabilitation counselor for people
with disabilities in San Franc s
At 35, he finally released h
first album, 1975’sWe Got By,
gaining wide acclaim—and he
evocative nickname Acroba
of Scat, for his unique voca
improvisational sounds.
Jazz purists struggled with
Jarreau’s willingness to bend
genres to his will, but his un -
tionable talent brought a wi
array of collaborators, includ g
Miles Davis, Jill Scott, and D d
Foster—and numerous hits (
sidebar). He also became the
first artist to win Grammys in three
genres: jazz, pop, and R&B.
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Jarreau is survived by his wife
of 39 years, Susan Player, and
their son, Ryan.
IN MEMORIAM 1940–2017
22 EW.COM FEBRUARY 24/MARCH 3, 2017
THE
ESSENTIALS
From jazz standards
to pop hits, these are five
of the musician’s
best for your playlist.
BY MADISON VAIN
Performing
in 1983
JARREAU: LUCIANO VITI/LUZ/REDUX; JARREAU SINGING: JAZZ ARCHIV HAMBURG/ULLSTEIN BILD/GETTY IMAGES