After his recordings slowed somewhat in the '90s, Jarreau returned to regular activity in the 2000s. Along with his own albums, he also made a cultural impact, contributing to the landmark charity album USA for Africa: We Are the World, and he reached an even broader audience as the singer and co-writer of the iconic theme to the '80s TV show Moonlighting. This wide adaptability, paired with his warmly upbeat charisma, brought him huge success throughout the '80s and found him moving increasingly into the commercial pop sphere with sleek productions like 1981's Breakin' Away, which earned him two more Grammy Awards. Although his skills were based in jazz, his albums found him just as adept at interpreting folk, R&B, pop, and funk. By the '70s, he had caught the industry's attention and delivered a series of highly acclaimed crossover albums, including 1977's Grammy Award-winning Look to the Rainbow: Live in Europe, that found him tackling a mix of stylistically varied cover songs as well as his own emotive originals. Initially emerging in the late '60s, Jarreau drew audiences with his dynamic blend of jazz balladry and vocalese. The only vocalist in history to net Grammy Awards in three different categories (jazz, pop, and R&B), Al Jarreau was a virtuoso performer who balanced smooth lyricism with his own innovative brand of vocalese.
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February 2023
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