Customer Reviews

Accentuate the Positive

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Al Jarreau has always had top priority for my ears straight to my heart. He can take a song and turn it into his own expert opinion of how that song should be sung. This particluar cd focuses on some great jazz, some from the 40's, and he interprets it all with so much grace. "Accentuate the Positive" is jazz, pure and simple. My favorite track is "My Foolish Heart" and for good reason - his vocal skill is like a beacon through that melody. Al Jurreau's supple vocal is perfect, some amazing tenor saxophone from Keith Anderson doesn't hurt.

The stunning ensemble here is too spectacular to go without notice or note: Christian McBride, David Carpenter, on bass;
Anthony Wilson on guitar; Tollak Ollestad on harmonica;
Luis Conte jazz percussion; Russell Ferrante on piano; Peter Erskine, Mark Simmons on drums; Larry E. Williams, Larry Willison on keyboards; and Larry Goldings on hammond organ.

(Trivia note: Peter Erskine, Anthony Wilson and Christian McBride also appear on Diana Krall's "Girl in the Other Room.)

I love Al Jurreau's latest "All I Got" R&B theme cd also produced by Tommy LiPuma. "Accentuate the Positive" though moves from blues jazz tracks like "Cold Duck" to soft gentle ballads like "My Foolish Heart" and funkified jazz like the remake "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive."

There is something bascially so indescribably delicious about this cd. The musicality is so seamless, seems so pulled-together to me, yet so flexible and emotively seems buoyantly spontaneous. Outstanding. Gotta own. Right now.

Pay no attention to anyone who has rated this less than 5 stars. I'm at work...it's 12 AM and I need to get home. Yet this CD rocks and I don't want to leave. What can I say...his band backing him up is great...his scat is smooth and crisp and not nutty...his voice sounds like velvet...smooth like the Velvet Fog....very very nice. Be prepared to be hypnotized by the CD. Should be CD of the year. Everything else is crap compared to this.

I picked this CD out of my mailbox at 2 pm today, it is now midnight and I am still listening to it! Thank goodness for that repeat button. "Betty Bebop's Song" is a poignant tribute to songbird Betty Carter. "Midnight Sun" - what can I say? I had to play that one alone for a couple of hours. Tollak Ollestad on harmonica had me thinking Toots, very lazy, extremely sensuous (Dee Dee Bridgewater also does a steamy rendition on "Dear Ella"). This CD has opened my eyes to some older material, i.e., "Accentuate the Positive" - who'd a thunk it? Absolutely fabulous as only the inimitable Jarreau could accomplish such a feat! "I'm Beginning to See the Light" - Larry Goldings and Anthony Wilson definitely get it together and AJ does it so effortlessly (for him). I did, however, think I was about to hear "You Don't See Me" when "Groovin' High" started, but after the intro, that thought was no longer . . . . If you are a serious Jarreau fan, DO NOT WASTE ANOTHER MOMENT, pure heaven. . . Amen

"Accentuate The Positive" is a one of a kind CD from a one of a kind artist doing what he does best..being himself! The vocal style that he showcases in concert has been toned down on recent CDs but it's front and center here. Vocally this is similar to "Look To The Rainbow (live)" but with added maturity brought by the years between.

The song selection is incredible, a mix of standards, originals and songs with lyrics added by Jarreau. Lyrically all these songs are mature and offer a lot of insight. Some are uptempo, fun and funky, others are breathtakingly beautiful and almost fragile sounding. Even the song sequencing is impeccable..with a cluster of love songs in the center that could turn the most hardcore cynic into a momentary romantic and several songs that thematically lead into each other.

Several of the backup musicians may be familiar because they have been on Diana Krall's recent releases. There is an unexpected amount of soloing for a CD that is a vocal showcase and the solos are tasty, tight and dazzling. Although this is a jazz CD it is not intellectualized "pedestal jazz". It is accessible and emotionally compelling.

There are quite a few recent releases that either feature standards or traditional jazz vocals but this one has a confidence most of them lack. Jarreau has made this material his own and delivers it from a personal perspective with a total lack of affectation. He makes every song, old or new, sound absolutely contemporary and relevant without resorting to gimmicks or pop culture reference points. This project is timeless, it will sound as wonderful 20 years from now as it does on first listen.

First and foremost, let me begin by saying I am a HUGE Al Jarreau Fan. I almost feel like I know Al Jarreau, having never met him (smile). His music is brilliant, and he is one of the few, very few, musicians I would buy, on sight without the benefit of hearing the music.

The above said, this CD is great, but a little tame compared to the Al Jarreau I grew-up with. I like the CD because it's Al's voice, but if this CD had been my first exposure to Jarreau, I am not sure if the 25 year love-affair I've had with his music would have been. If you really want to hear Al Jarreau listen to Live In Europe... I wore the grooves out of that album in high school. ....singing the song shobedo, while birds and rich folks flew-right-on-by... we got by.... (raw Al Jarreau.. the good stuff).

Al is still my main-man, but if you want to hear Al's music that took us hard-core Fans by storm look to the past.

I heard the cuts from this album on an XM Live Broadcast. I immediately picked up the albumn and was thrilled to hear wood...(acoustic instruments, piano, bass, drums)...this reminded me of his much earlier "This Time" album which had such a nice jazz flavor to it. I was never a big fan of his pop work as he is such a talented singer, I like it when he puts his talents to the right music.

Upon first playing this cd, I noted the similarity to Diana Krall's last album, and I was bemused that they actually back him up on this cd.

I particularly liked his rendition of Waltz for Debby, one of my favorite Bill Evans compositions and particularly, his Dizzy arrangement.

I have long been a listener of Al Jarreau - as many have said here. I was playing this CD in my car waiting for the ferry. A young mother asked if this was Al Jarreau's new album. She had just seen his concert 3 weeks ago and was just glowing over the show. What people may not realize is that Al Jarereau's concerts begin at superb and go up.

Recent albums - I bought this and ALL I GOT - recent producers have mixed a multilayer sound. The last 2 CDs (including TOMORROW TODAY) I needed to listen several times, to break down the layers until I could find the heart of the song. The CDs have grown on me. And the complexity is part of the draw. You can always hear something new each time.

Now we come to the latest - and lo and behold - it's a return to sound I haven't heard in years. There is a real reason for this. His first producer - Tommy Lipuma - has returned. The sound is more jazzy and simple lines. Great band standing behind him. Now this may not be everyone's tea - but for pure Jarreau - this is a rediscovery.

Check out his Live CD LOOK TO THE RAINBOW for comparisons. (The CD TAKE 5 cut jumps into the middle of stunning wind up scat. Look for the LP to hear the whole wind up) Jarreau in his latest plays more, scats more, and the results are fresh looks at some true classic standards that Jarreau makes his own.

Al Jarreau is one of my all time favorite jazz vocalists. This album is another example of how wonderful of a vocalist he is. Not only does he sound wonderful, but the band is extremely impressive. It's oftentimes hard to remake others songs and have them sound even better than the original, but Jarreau seems to have done it with ease. As soon as I found out he released a new c.d., I bought it and I am so happy that I did.

This new CD is like sitting in a smoky jazz club listening to Al and his band just groove. From his classic style of scat, to nice twists on old ballads, Al presents us once again with a collection that is sure to thrill all Al Jarreau fans. Thanks to Mr. Jarreau for bringing it to us again with heart and soul!

When Grammy nomination time rolls around late this year, the folks at NARAS should seriously consider this CD. Brother Al has pulled everything out of his never-ending bag of tricks, and this collection is in the pocket all the way - mixing timeless standards and funk-filled jazz classics, even adding his own lyrics and daring scat.

Larry Williams gets credit for the sizzling charts, and the backup band is a gas!! Kudos to producer Tommy LiPuma and world-class engineer Al Schmitt for their individual contributions to a Grammy-worthy project.

As far as I'm concerned, NARAS ought to just hand the trophy to Mr. Jarreau and pals (it's high time for a male jazz artist to grab one)!!