October 29, 2005
Belk Theatre, Charlotte N.C.

It seems like symphony concerts are the trendy thing to do. A quick search through some entertainment listings brought up offerings from Willie Nelson, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Kansas to name a few. Turn on your local PBS station during a fund-raising drive and you can’t miss Dennis DeYoung’s symphonic version of Styx’ greatest hits. Local orchestras are trying to lure boomers by shaking the perception that their concerts are genteel, formal events. Most artists use it as an opportunity to add longevity to their catalog of hits; but for the ones who are willing to take the risk, it is an opportunity to cover a wider spectrum of musical turf in front of an audience that is more open to exploration than the average arena crowd. Needless to say, Al Jarreau belongs to the second group. See him at a festival or a summer tour and he delivers the crowd pleasers with a song or two from left field to spice it up. See him in the symphony setting and you get to see a multifaceted artist cut loose.

Jarreau set the mood for the evening when he hit the stage with some improvisational scatting woven around a prayer of gratitude that urged the audience to focus on the good things in their lives and be thankful for what they have, then segued into a medley of some of his familiar hits. The joyride really begins when he gets to show what he can do in a program of songs that includes classical music, show tunes, jazz standards and some of his most beautifully written originals. His first step off the beaten path was a medley from “West Side Story” that begins with the anticipatory energy of “Something’s Coming” and ends with a lovely interpretation of “Maria.” Later, he sings a hushed, emotive version of “Bess, You Is My Woman,” from “Porgy and Bess” leading into “Summertime,” which he previously recorded. During these two medleys he speaks of the historical context of these songs and how they touched the audiences who heard them in their original settings, while his performances illustrate how relevant and timeless they still are. A lot of the arrangements were sparse and focused mostly on a trio of keyboard, bass, and drums with brass and string embellishments, but “Spain” got the full orchestral treatment making it even more dynamic and stunning. “Mornin’,” which has already been given several layers of meaning since its original incarnation as a pop hit, got an even more uplifting touch as he improvised on the chorus of Burt Bacharach’s “I Say A Little Prayer” throughout. “We Got By” sounded perfectly in place as story and song between the Broadway and theatrical material. The introspective lyrics he added to Bach’s “Air on A G String” left the audience hushed and contemplative, then a rousing standing ovation brought him back to sing “After All.” That’s how Al Jarreau concerts always work, from moments of stillness and quiet to dancing in the aisles and screaming standing ovations.  Through all this, he has so much fun. His conversations with the audience are unpredictable and completely in the moment. When he shares information about the songs and their composers it never sounds like a lecture. Of course he had a blast cutting up with the conductor and musicians. Given the freedom to “color outside the lines” he created a vivid and colorful picture. This is one artist who will never default to running on autopilot, and his audiences won’t be able to either.

For this adventure Jarreau brought along longtime collaborator Larry Williams on keyboards, drummer Mark Simmons, who was featured on Accentuate The Positive, and Chris Walker, the bass player, backup vocalist and music director in his touring band. The orchestration was done by Gil Goldstein, who has worked with everyone from Miles Davis to Pat Metheny and most recently did the arrangements for Chris Botti’s chart topping To Love Again. His gift has always been creating arrangements that add depth and dimension to the material without making it sound ponderous. The combination of the core trio and Goldstein’s arrangements undoubtedly kept the symphony concert experience within the comfort zone for some of the fans who were experiencing it for the first time. In this case it was done without compromising the integrity of the experience in order to make it mass appeal, which sometimes happens at symphony pops concerts.

Jarreau has been doing concerts with local and regional orchestras for over a decade in both large and small markets. He continues to do his regular tours, with a few of these scattered in between. If he does one within traveling distance don’t miss it. It's a chance to experience music with no boundaries and proof you can kick off your shoes and have fun at a symphony concert!

- Shannon West