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Jarreau: Still someone to see
CRIMES OF THE HEART On Stage
June Sllo. July 3. 4, 5. 6. 7. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14 at 8 p.m. JUIM 20(!l - AugUSt lllll
CEORCEM!
University Theatre Omaha:
July 6, 7, 8 & 13. 14. 15 at 8 p.m.
Howell Theatre-Lincoln:
July 19, 20,21.24. 25. 26, 27. 28 at 8 p.m.
HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES
Howell Theatre
August 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, II at 8 p.m.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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Season
Tickets
Call 472-2073
12th and R Streets Nebraska Repertory TtlCatre Lincoln, NE 68583
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Paged
By Ward W. Triplett III
Al Jarreau may not have offered
much to hear recently, but he proved
In his performance at Omaha's Civic
Auditorium he is stLU someone to see.
In the two years since his fust mod
erate commercial success with the
album "This Time" and the big hits
"We're In This Love Together" and
"Mornin" that followed, Jarreau's al
bums turned mundane as his efforts
became increasingly commercial and
mainstream.
Coming from a man who had won
awards from Billboard, Downbeat and
other industry magazines as a great
jazz singer, even the breezy pop Jar
reau brought to a song like "Mornin "
was a disappointment.
But the other side of Jarreau's repu
tation was that of a dynamic jazz per
former. He showed 3,247 people in
Omaha that part of him wasn't swept
under the Top 40 charts.
The three-hour performance was
not a concession at all to pop success.
In concert, Jarreau not only let his jazz
roots dig through the synthesized ar
rangements, he also allowed his jazz
future to shine through as well.
Jarreau is known for his spontane
ous, melodic scatsinging, often imitat
ing instruments on stage. "Jarreau,"
released last October, very glaringly
reduced the scatsinging from its nine
tracks, with a short exception on
"Boogie Down." But Jarreau was less
than 10 minutes into his performance;
past the 1977 club hit "Milwaukee" and
his last adult contemporary hit "Trou
ble in Paradise" before the scatsinging
returned at the tail end of "I Will Be
Here For You," an experimental piece
that featured a Swahiii lead.
Once the trademark was back, it
never left. Jarreau carried the spirited
audience through a 14-song set that
stuck with his recent recordings. But a
powerful band of seasoned jazz musi
cians (including two former members
of Weather Report) and the scatsing
ing on top of the new pop songs made
each tune overcome the bland formula
on record.
After an intermission, Jarreau and
the eight-piece, multi-racial, interna
tional band turned the performance
into a glorified jazz jam session.
While the band jammed on, Jarreau,
who has never given up his unique
penchant for prowling the stage from
end to end, his face ever a expression
of pure indulgence in the sounds, show
ed off everything from skilled dancing
to slightly spasmatic motions. But he
always managed to look like he was in
tune with his players.
When he wasn't moving around, he
kept his crowd alive with almost con
stant chatter and humor between
songs. He remarked once about the
studio being too confining and how it
sometimes felt like John Houseman of
the Paper Chase was looking over his
shoulder.
. "It's funny howyou can work all your
life to get there, and then you still pray
for the times when you can get loose
and jazz your behind off," he said after
an improvisational ending to "Our
Love."
Throughout the show, the audience
called out for its favorite songs, and
Jarreau responded with a short but
energetic rendition of "Take Five" and
a mock version of "Look to the Rain
bow," both of which were several years
before his Top 40 success.
Before the first hit, Jarreau said
radio stations would only play his
records after 4 am. "You're about ready
to go to sleep," he said in a mock D.J.
voice. "I think 111 play some Al Jarreau
for you." The yelling did little to disrupt
the show itself, and the fact that Jar
reau allowed it added to the jazzy feel
ing of the evening.
Toward the end, Jarreau had all but
surrendered the open stage to his
band. Over the last four songs, each
player had his own spotlight at least
once, with saxophonist Michael Parro
(formerly of Seawind) standing out as
a crowd favorite. The Band got stand
ing ovations for "Spain," the jazz classic
Jarreau originally did with Chick Corea
and the uplifting dance single "Boogie
Down" which is getting a second radio
life since breakdancers caught on to it.
Jarreau ended the show with "Roof
Garden," but the auditorium lights
went up without the Milwaukee native
doing the much requested "Mornin' " or
"Breaking Away."
A fan who caught one of Jarreau' s
eight straight sell-out performances
earlier n Minnesota said that show
ran the video clip of "Mornin' " before
the second half of the show began.
There was a screen behind the stage
Monday that seemed suited fot.th3tx
purpose, but it was only used for a
animated slide during "Roof Garden."
The only real complaint with the
Jarreau show is the vast majority of
the personally, stylish tunes he built
his club reputation on are all but
buried.
The new show is clearly bent toward
the younger fans who just tuned in. It
left something to be desired for those
of us who remember the good old
tunes. But, such is the price of success,
and after the struggling years, it's al
most worth the sacrifice to see a per
former who really loves the stage as
much as Al Jarreau make it.
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Daily Nebraskan
Friday, June 2Z 1984