Frank

In the late 1980's, a little-known rehabilitation counselor started frequenting a jazz caf̩ in Los Angeles. It wasn't out of the need to provide extramural guidance to traumatized patrons with a penchant for pulsating rhythms, but to satisfy a burning ambition Рto sing.

His musical prowess was noticed in 1975, and a recording contract followed. Two years later, he was destined for bigger things – his first world tour. Now, 30 years later, jazz supremo Al Jarreau is back on the road, and judging by the reviews of his "Givin' It Up" album tour with fellow jazz heavyweight George Benson, he is still commanding audiences be it in Germany, Bulgaria or South Africa.

At the risk of gloating, I've seen many bands and musicians in accordance with my diverse tastes – take your pick from one extreme – Metallica to punk rock in the form of the now defunct Australian band, Midnight Oil, rap in the vein of Jay-Z and Rihanna, R & B greats Randy Crawford, Roberta Flack, Al Jarreau and others, Simply Red, reggae icons Peter Tosh and Lucky Dube, dancehall pioneer Shabba Ranks and the sub-baritone ska influences of Shaggy, the jazz of Herbie Hancock, Jonathan Butler and Pieces of a Dream, to Hugh Masekela and his Afro-jazz sounds, among others.

The point of all that, is that among the stellar lineup, one artist tops my favorites list – Al Jarreau. Which is why I've done the laborious task of listening to some 17 albums that he's recorded over the past 30 years in an endeavor to find the best five. Opting for the best five tracks, would have been much easier, but somehow listening to roughly 12 hours of his music seems worth the effort. Some familiar hits were glossed over in preference for replaying unfamiliar tracks, which added more time to the study.

The criteria for selection was as follows:

Using a combination of Impressionistic and Panoramic Criticism as musical styles in the critique, albums were picked on the basis of there being at least five songs that had subjective appeal, whether or not they enjoyed commercial success, although that counted as a positive. Albums which had two or three favorite tracks were discarded, and at no point were songs simply added in to make up the numbers. The "Best Of" compilation was obviously omitted, given that selected hits were chosen from various albums, as was a "live" record of earlier hits for the same reason. An exception was made of the live studio recording of "Tenderness," which featured cover versions of contemporary favorites. A difficult choice had to be made in excluding his latest album, Givin' It Up, for the reason that it would be folly to single out Jarreau from the collaboration with George Benson.

In reverse order then, album #5 is the 2002 release All I Got, the second record under the GRP label after Jarreau's long association with Warner Bros. The opening track "Random Act of Love," is a perfect introduction to the album that's urban funk – a major departure from the funky/soul hits from his earlier years. Next up is the duet with the distinctly gritty voice of Joe Cocker, whom I've never been a fan of, but their harmonizing on "Lost and Found," is an uplifting tune that expertly merges their varying styles. "Until You Love Me," slows the pace down, and doesn't come across as yet-another mushy love ballad that's been the staple of R & B and a host of other genres over the years, but is a slick and well-composed song. "Oasis" continues in the same mould, before the South African-influenced "Jacaranda Bougainvillea" sees Jarreau retain his style, with creative lyrics that inspire:

" … There is a tree on the street and in the forest.
Lavender dream whispered a poet.
Bright potpourri. The envy of orchids,
When it's dressed in a pink and fuchsia twine.
Jacaranda tree and the Bougainvillea vine.

Oh Mandela, that garden you made,
Is a vision of the prayer, you must've been prayin' everyday … "

The album concludes with an a cappella version of the standard "Route 66" that makes this album one of his best, although some of the tracks on the record like "Life Is" and "Never Too Late," just don't have that visceral effect, and that's to be expected as no one person buys a record and usually enjoys listening to ALL of the tunes.

Weighing in at #4 is the 2004 release "Accentuate the Positive," on the Verve label, previously known as GRP. Here, Jarreau rejoins one of the jazz industry's most influential producers in the form of Verve chairman Tommy LiPuma, who has helped guide the careers of George Benson, Michael Franks and Diana Krall, and it's Krall rhythm section that provides the backing for Jarreau, not to forget his wife and son putting in an appearance. "Nearness of You," is a soothing, slow jazz song that Jarreau interprets in his own way, given that the 1938 hit by Hoagy Carmichael has been done by a host of artists, among them Pat Boone, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand and others. Another standard that is emulated by Jarreau is the classic "My Foolish Heart," which he gives the same delicate treatment - an intimacy in which his voice coaxes you into comfort. And the same can be said for another classic, the Lionel Hampton and Sonny Burke hit "Midnight Sun," which shines through in the same slow, jazzy mould, before Jarreau ups the tempo on "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive," and teases again by slowing it down on "Betty Bebop's Song," providing what I believe is his most serious, all-round jazz album, that represents a departure from some of the R & B, urban funk and fusion jazz tracks characterized on some of his other albums.

Which brings me to the Warner Bros. label for my #3 choices, the 1980 release of "This Time." The times signaled an end of disco and the growing influence of rhythm and blues and pop. Michael Jackson and Prince were becoming hugely popular, and although Jarreau didn't enjoy the plaudits of his contemporaries, he had already cemented his reputation as an artist of note by garnering two Grammy Awards. "Gimme What You Got" and "(If I Could Only) Change" are slow ballads, but lack the sophistication of later romantic songs, but nevertheless have Jarreau's distinctive voice that carries them along, progressing to the more up-tempo "Love is Real," and "Distracted" that symbolize his style of music. One of my all-time favorite tracks is on this album – "(Spain) I Can Recall" and for good reason that it also features on his "Best Of" album. It starts slow, before building to a crescendo that tests Jarreau's vocal range and his ability to vary his tempo to maximum effect. It's a feel-good, pulsating track that's hard not to admire and definitely is the standout track on the album.

A year later, Jarreau recorded one of his most popular albums, but which doesn't feature in my Top Five, given that only three songs from the record make it on my top five list. In 1983 however, he recorded "Jarreau," which is my #2 choice. It opens with the catchy "Mornin" track, followed by "Boogie Down" and both epitomize Jarreau's uncanny ability to use his voice as an instrument. If he stopped singing intelligible lyrics and you heard a musical accompaniment that sounded somewhat strange and unfamiliar, but a delightful sound that was in tune with the beat, that'd be Jarreau's improvised voice. And to once again illustrate his ability to vary pitch, "I Will Be Here For You (Nitakungodea Milele), slows things down, while "Step By Step," takes us back up with an infectious beat, capping it off with the funky "Black and Blues" – marking Al Jarreau at his best.

And rounding off my #1 choice that's seen a journey from 2002, to the 1980's to 1994, is the live studio recording of "Tenderness." Jarreau has an all-star cast - Marcus Miller, Kathleen Battle, Joe Sample, David Sanborn, Kenny Garrett, Philippe Saisse, Michael Brecker, who died earlier this year and Paul Jackson Jr.. They are joined by some friends and guests in a studio to record the album. Recording a live album, with a studio audience present, means no room for mistakes and that's what makes this album all the more special. It open with the 1963 Brazilian-inspired hit "Mas Que Nada" by Jorge Ben and Jarreau expertly handles the language challenge, once again varying the tempo of his voice with ease, creating a worthy rendition of a popular classic. He follows that up with another evergreen hit, "Try A Little Tenderness" by Irving King, the pseudonym for the British songwriting team of James Campbell and Reginald Connelly and Harry M. Wood. It's full of soul and you can sense Jarreau engaging the audience's familiarity with this tune that is every bit a touching ballad as it a happy tune that inspires the crowd to respond enthusiastically to his interpretation. The Bernie Taupin ballad "Your Song" follows, and next to Sir Elton John, Jarreau does an equally commendable version, with a recognizable lilt, and the same can be said for the John Lennon and Paul McCartney song "She's Leaving Home," which he captures with such poignancy that Beatles fan would be proud. Which brings me to the final song in the selection, aptly titled "My Favorite Things," the tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Sound of Music. Soprano Kathleen Battle and Jarreau open with a haunting, yet inviting pitch that transforms into a well-orchestrated interchange of roles. Their voices complement each other and one has the urge to sing along, except it's difficult to match their soaring vocal range. Given that the two artists represent different genres of music, they somehow manage to meld the two disciplines with such consummate ease that it could be likened to Queen's groundbreaking Bohemian Rhapsody and whilst the Freddy Mercury written hit was the band's magnum opus, in my view the duet with Battle is Jarreau's most definitive interpretation and his best collaborative achievement.