*In the biography “Never Givin’ Up: The Life and Music of Al Jarreau” (Wisconsin Historical Society Press), Kurt Dietrich, a three-time author and Professor Emeritus of Music at Ripon College in Wisconsin, approaches the life story of one-of-a-kind ‘vocal acrobat’ primarily through deep research from articles and interviews of the past, his own chats with family members and musical associates, but only a couple of one-on-ones with the subject himself. The result is a very scholarly approach based on admiration and respect for Jarreau yet softened by the kind of walking on eggshells that would be expected of someone working closely with family members.
My biggest complaint about the 332 pages of the book that tell this story is that there is much, much handwringing over what ‘box’ the multi-faceted Jarreau belonged in musically – whether it was from Jarreau’s personal career perspective, the critics, the record companies and the most sophomoric of his fans.
Though he wrestled with the expectations of others in this regard across his entire career, given the chronological approach of this book, it is wearisome for it to be drudged up again and again.
One or two focused chapters on this aspect of his career would have been preferable over this repetition.
Those who truly know Al Jarreau’s artistry intuit that he loved ALL music and pursued Jazz, Pop, Classical, R&B, show tunes, Inspirational, and music representing the cultures of people worldwide – refracting it all into a catalog and canon full of exploration and experimentation that is to be respected, emulated and celebrated. From his lightest-hearted love songs and spiritual uplifters to his most contemplative and introspective works, Jarreau was a conveyor of 360 degrees of human nature.
In “Never Givin’ Up: The Life and Music of Al Jarreau,” Dietrich also misses the gist of a few very important compositions perhaps due to cultural oversight. For instance, Jarreau recorded the song “You Don’t See Me” three times over his career. It is a lyric that takes you deep inside the fury, frustration, and psyche of a young Black male in America being ignored, targeted, profiled, heavy-handedly incarcerated or otherwise unconsidered in a way that is comparable to classics of others such as “Little Child, Running Wild” by Curtis Mayfield (from the “Superfly” soundtrack) or “Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong” by The Whispers. Yet Dietrich has nothing to say about this song except that it is among the funkiest things Jarreau ever recorded, especially the third time with the masterful musician/producer Marcus Miller playing bass. Huh?! True…but there is an instrumental REASON for The Funk given the lyrical subject. For that context to be overlooked is unforgivable, especially since Dietrich quotes plenty of press people who were dismissive of Jarreau’s writing. Also missed was any discussion of the song “Golden Girl” which reflected empathy for the Black Woman.
He also completely ignores the fact that in 1983, highly accomplished singer/songwriter Brenda Russell composed an entire song in Al Jarreau’s honor, “Jarreau” – painting rich impressionistic visions of how magical the occasion was to experience him perform live in concert. This song was on a major label album and included on her Ultimate Collection CD. Yet all Dietrich had to say about it is that Al sang it in a duo performance with Joe Turano during his very last public performance in Austin, Texas (December 9, 2016) at the One World Theater where Russell was in the audience (she lives there). That Dietrich didn’t interview Russell to discuss her colorful inspiration for “Jarreau” is a real oversight.
Dietrich walks the tightrope of objectivity by diligently exploring the opinions of those who loved Jarreau and those who did not care for him – for whatever reasons. The quotes he pulled from Jarreau’s past interviews are generous and welcome. The details of his family upbringing, world travels and coping mechanisms are highly commendable. But too little remains a mystery when it comes to what really made Jarreau tick. This is even plainly stated by many throughout the book.
“Never Givin’ Up” is a worthwhile read overall, especially for ardent fans of the artist…but would have been so much better had Jarreau lived long enough to shed considerably more light on the complexity of his personal journey. – A. Scott Galloway
MORE NEWS ON EURWEB: WE REMEMBER: Singer Al Jarreau Dies at 76 – Watch Our Video Tribute to Vocal Master
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