*“He was an amazing guy,” said Zev Feldman, co-president of Resonance Records, when talking about the November 29, 2024 release of the “Wow” album that consisted of five live performances by Al Jarreau at the Childe Harold in Washington, DC in 1976. “J’ai (his publicist) and I worked with him…it was the most special experience in my career. He was the kindest, humblest human being.”
The live performances from the seven-time Grammy Award-winning Al Jarreau were recorded by WHFS radio in Washington, DC in 1976, He was 36 and had been in the music business since 1968. He released his debut album “We Got By” in 1975 for Warner Bros Records. They scouted Al while he was working with pianist Tom Canning. In 1978 he won his first Grammy Award for his album “Look to the Rainbow.”
“I found this tape…WHFS in Washington, DC recorded of this concert in 1976,” Feldman said when I asked about the “Wow” (Resonance Records) live performances project. “Al told me about this concert when we were having dinner one time with Black Entertainment Television. He said it was ‘the first time I performed in DC was at the Childe Harold.’”
Aside from the five live performances offered on the “Wow” (Resonance Records) album, it has interviews with longtime collaborators with Al Jarreau such as Nile Rogers, Dionne Warwick, Will Downing, and Dee Dee Bridgewater discussing their time with Jarreau. It also has music writer A. Scott Galloway and Grammy-nominated Tom Canning (keyboardist/producer) reminiscing about Al. The Al Jarreau performances in “Wow” are of James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” Count Basie’s “Shiny Stockings”, and the covers of “Take Five” and “You Don’t See Me”.
“The release (of the tape) came later,” the Maryland native said. “We had to make sure the sound was of quality…get legal permission… It (the performances) was early in his career…making a name. His artistry was remarkable (at that time).”
“He was a unique artist. Had a special style,” Zev pointed out.
Resonance Record, launched in 2008, is a division of the 501 c 3 organization Rising Jazz Stars Foundation, created to discover the next generation of Jazz stars. The label has released historical live performances and music from such iconic artists as Freddie Hubbard, Nat King Cole, and Sarah Vaughan – to name a few – in addition to rising Jazz stars. The “Wow” album will reach record stores on Nov. 29th but digital platforms on December 6th.
“We have a mission to preserve music. Get the word out. It’s been 16 years now,” Zev Feldman excitedly said as we concluded our talk. www.ResonanceRecords.org
SYNDICATED COLUMN: Dr. Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is also a Business Management/Public Relations Strategist and Consultant at Freelance Associates and is Promotions Director (at-large) for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENTS: “Uplifting Minds II” Entertainment Conference (ULMII), founded by Eunice in 1999, is in its 25th year. The next events are coming to Baltimore via Zoom on Saturday, April 20, 2024, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore Times, and Los Angeles via Zoom on Saturday, November 9, 2024. The ULMII event is a free entertainment conference offering a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase, and a National Talent Competition (vocal, songwriting, dance, and acting) where aspiring artists have a chance to receive over $19,000 valued in prizes/product/services. Log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.com and RSVP for Zoom Access at EventBrite.com or email [email protected].
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