Al Jarreau may be known as a jazz singer, but that doesn’t begin to describe this versatile vocal performer and five-time Grammy Award winner. Jarreau is a true crossover artist, with jazz and pop hits, Broadway parts and television appearances to his name. His latest album is a collaboration with jazz guitarist George Benson. “Givin’ It Up” was released in October by Concord Music Group in conjunction with Monster Cable’s Monster Music Division. The Monster SuperDisc offers higher, audiophile-grade bit-rate sampling in multiple mixes, including 5.1-channel High Definition Surround (HDS).

The album riffs with Jarreau’s effervescent vocals and Benson’s smooth guitar work, with some able assistance provided by the likes of Paul McCartney, Herbie Hancock, soul singer Jill Scott and others. Jarreau, Benson and company sizzle up some scat and solos, swing through a couple of Miles Davis tunes and even blow cool jazz into covers of pop hits “Every Time You Go Away” and Seals & Crofts’ “Summer Breeze.” It’s enough to delight fans of both jazz and pop.

Jarreau took some time to discuss the album and how we enjoy music today. On numerous occasions, he even broke into song. We didn’t mind the personal concert at all.

Jazz, Pop or R&B?
Al says: I think “Givin’ It Up” is a contemporary, R&B, pop and jazz record. We’re acclaimed as jazz artists, but we do jazz music in R&B and pop. We’re giving it the jazz improvisational touch. It’s R&B and pop in a jazzy way. It invites people to sit down and listen to music like they used to, with a glass of wine and their head back.

People listen to music in passing today. There’s a generation of people who used to go get a record, take it home, get some friends together, and lie down and just listen to their favorite artists. Now we’re left with shoot-’em-up movies and kids playing games. I think with this [album] there’s a chance for people to rediscover music.

Collaborating with Paul McCartney
Al: On the song “Bring It on Home to Me,” Paul McCartney is lead singer. Paul was at the same studio working on a new project. George had known him for years, so George says, “Come on, sing on this song.” Two days later, he came back and sang on the record.

Lots of times we thought that maybe we were being touched by the hand of God. The first day we were in the office having coffee. I left and came back, and George was drinking my coffee. I said, “Hey, are you drinking my coffee?” And George says, “Hey, don’t start no stuff.” I went home and found the basic music in my head for “Don’t Start No Schtuff.”

Genesis of Unusual Covers
Al: George does “Mornin’,” a song of mine, and I do some percussive stuff in the background. I sing to [Benson’s hit] “Breezin’,” and [Miles Davis’] “Four.” Then George came up with the idea of doing “Summer Breeze” and “Every Time You Go Away.”

Race to be First Monster Music HD Album
Al: We put ourselves under the gun, because we wanted to be the first record from the collaboration between Concord and Monster Music. [Monster Cable’s] Noel Lee had the notion of high-definition 5.1 surround sound to go along with your home theater. He wants to sell that music to audiophiles and Monster Cable buyers. So we got together with Concord, and Monster will put the music in [electronics] stores. We wanted to be the first product in that partnership and step on the gas.

It took four to five weeks and less than 25 occasions to put it together. It usually takes 12 to 16 weeks. And we didn’t cancel our touring schedules. We were getting mixes on while on tour.

Al Jarreau’s Sound System
Al: I will listen to a great sound system. I have all kinds of great stuff, and other people set it up and I just use it. I don’t listen in 5.1 surround sound. I don’t have one of those systems. I’m home so seldom, I don’t have time to supervise installing that. I’m often listening to music on a headset. And often when I have the music, I’m listening to the classical station. It’s refreshing, and it cleanses the palate.

Tech Needs to be Tamed
Al: I was in Europe while [sound mixer] Al Schmitt was MP3-ing me the music on the album, and I don’t even know what an MP3 is. But having said that, I think we can go too far. We have to be guardians of the music. The wild and crazy thing is that we don’t miss good bread [for example]. You go to northern Europe and get a taste of real bread, and you realize that we’re selling ourselves short. That’s frightening, and I’m a little concerned. We also have to manage technology in a way that’s human. We have to manage tech, or tech will kick our butts.

I think we should miss [well-produced music] and demand that it stays around. Let’s not do music that lacks real wheat in the bread. Let’s not let it disappear and not miss it.

Prepping for the Holidays
Al: I covered “The Christmas Song” in the middle 1980s, so that is of one of my favorites. I still want to do a collection of Christmas songs, and there’s a bunch of them by Alfred Burt. They’re so beautiful and fresh and in the spirit of classic Christmas carols. The lyrics describe things of Currier and Ives and Norman Rockwell—it’s those images that I think are so dear and treasured at Christmastime. The notes and music alone have a way of sticking to tradition that’s also important.

Monster Music SuperDiscs Explained
Monster Music has made “Givin’ It Up” available in a High Definition Surround SuperDisc package with two discs. The first is a two-channel stereo CD containing the original stereo recording, and the second is a DVD-9 (DVD-VIDEO/DVD-ROM) containing multiple mixes of the album, including DTS 96-kHz/24-bit surround mixes of “In The Band” and “In The Room,” two Dolby 48-kHz/16-bit surround mixes, and a PCM Stereo 96-kHz/24-bit Monster Audiophile Mastered mix.

The “Givin’ It Up” SuperDisc package also contains digital music files with multiple mixes in the three most popular formats for download to a computer or portable player. Monster Music SuperDiscs are also certified by THX for high-quality sound, multiple-surround experiences and digital music files. SuperDiscs can be played on DVD players. 

Steven Castle
Senior Editor, Electronic House Magazine

Steven Castle is a writer, editor, and humorist who recently completed Filthy Rich Things, a savage satire on our thirst for success and wealth. He is presently expanding his magazine work by writing more about alternative energy sources and green building.

Steven Castle can be reached at scastle@ehpub.com