Experience the timeless magic of jazz with the album "Ellington" by Al Jarreau and the NDR Bigband, released by Act. It features a stunning collaboration between legendary singer Al Jarreau and the renowned NDR Bigband, paying tribute to the legendary Duke Ellington. Immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of sound where Al Jarreau's velvety vocals blend effortlessly with the lush arrangements of the NDR Bigband. Each track on this album showcases a masterful blend of classic jazz elements and contemporary twists that create a truly captivating listening experience. From soulful ballads to upbeat swing numbers, "Ellington" offers a diverse range of musical styles that will delight jazz enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Whether you are a die-hard fan of Al Jarreau or simply appreciate first-class jazz performances, this album is a must for your collection. Let "Ellington" transport you to a world where music knows no bounds and creativity reigns supreme. Stuart Nicholson (British scene journalist) Al Jarreau himself liked to describe his style as "Al Jarreau music". And rightly so, because there is no doubt that he himself was unique. He was awarded a Grammy six times and nominated for "Best Singer" nineteen times - in three different genre categories, jazz, pop and R'n'B. This shows impressively how little importance categories and genre boundaries had for him. "Music may fit into boxes for other people and I can understand that," he once said. "But for me, if I like a song, I just have to sing it, it's as simple as that. When you come to my concerts, I sit on your shoulder and whisper in your ear. I open your soul and walk through many doors with you." The imagery of his language testifies to the great imagination and vocal virtuosity with which Al Jarreau always steered his songs in new, unexpected directions. "If there's a basis for what I do, it's the language of jazz," he explained. Music, sound and rhythm - all of these were always part of Al Jarreau's DNA, flowing through him seemingly effortlessly. Yet his career began relatively late. He was born into a musical family in 1940, but initially studied psychology and social sciences. But he never let go of music. At the end of the 1960s, he joined a trio led by pianist George Duke. With hard work and tireless dedication, he strove to make singing his profession and performed in Los Angeles nightclubs such as "Dino's" and the legendary "Troubadour". It was there that Siggi Loch, then an influential manager at Warner Brothers Records (WEA), finally discovered the exceptional talent of Al Jarreau. "I saw Al for the first time at the Troubadour in 1974 and I was immediately captivated by his voice and his stage presence," Loch recalls. "The next day I went to Mo Ostin, the president of Warner Bros. Re- cords, to convince him to sign Al." After some initial hesitation, Loch was given the green light and Jarreau's debut album "We Got By" was released in 1975. "I brought Al to Germany even before he became famous in the USA," says Loch. "He played three evenings in the legendary Hamburg club 'Onkel Pö', after the first performance he was the talk of the town and I was able to convince Michael Naura, the head of jazz at NDR at the time, to broadcast the third evening on television." This TV program made Al Jarreau famous in Germany overnight and from then on he took the hearts of German audiences by storm. His first tour of Germany took place in sold-out concert halls and "We Got By" received the prestigious "Deutscher Schallplattenpreis". The follow-up album "Glow" (1976) was also very well received in Europe and was again awarded the "Deutscher Schallplattenpreis". In the USA, however, success failed to materialize. "The album was aimed more at a smooth jazz audience," recalls Siggi Loch. "It didn't show Al Jarreau with the intensity that he developed in front of a live audience. So I pushed for his next album to be a live recording." Mo Ostin reluctantly agreed and so "Look to the Rainbow" was born, which became a huge success in Europe. "When it was finally released in the USA, it was his breakthrough there too and earned him his first Grammy. So it's fair to say that his career began primarily in Germany," summarizes Loch The close connection between Al Jarreau and the NDR, which has existed since the early days in Hamburg, finally inspired the chief conductor of the NDR Big Band, Jörg Achim Keller, to a special collaboration four decades later. "I had been dreaming of realizing a production with Al and the music of Duke Ellington since the early 2000s," says Keller. "When we finally met, Al was immediately enthusiastic about the idea." Keller drew up a selection of around one hundred Ellington pieces. "We worked through the list together and it was a matter of 'This suits me' or 'Let's play this as an old gutbucket blues'," Jarreau later said, explaining further: "It was important to me to find myself in the music and perhaps offer a new perspective on Ellington's work so that people could experience the music in a new way." In the arrangements, Keller made sure to respect Jarreau's own approach and give him enough freedom. And pieces such as "I'm Beginning to See the Light" and "I Got It Bad (and that Ain't Good)" also give the soloists of the NDR Bigband room to develop their virtuosity. "These musicians are highly intelligent, great soloists who can hold their own with the best in the world," explained Jarreau at the time. "They challenge me and I love that pressure because it makes me sound like a real singer!" At the end of 2016, Jarreau and the NDR Big Band went on tour with the Ellington program. "During the tour, we continued to fine-tune every concert," says Jörg Achim Keller with a smile. "Al loved singing these ballads - each in a different, very unique way. 'Come Sunday' was particularly close to his heart. This song was reworked twice before Al was finally happy with it. On some tracks he opted for a pure ballad style, like 'I Got It Bad (and that Ain't Good)', while other tracks, like 'Lush Life' and 'Come Sunday', were given a pop or R&B flavor. And Al loved that old gutbucket blues feel on 'I Ain't Got Nothing but the Blues'". Looking back, Jörg Achim Keller says: "Al Jarreau's unique style and personality held the whole program together. It was a wonderful combination of his and Ellington's musical mastery and audiences all over Europe were thrilled." Siggi Loch, who attended one of the concerts in Paris, shares this assessment: "It was obvious that Al really enjoyed performing this music. He did it with such energy and so much feeling that it was a real pleasure to watch and listen to him." Just a few months after the tour, on February 12, 2017, Al Jarreau died at the age of 76. In many ways, the release of "Ellington" closes a circle: the fact that Jarreau's last album will be released on ACT - the label founded by Siggi Loch, who once set the course for his international career. Also because the album was created in collaboration with NDR - the radio station that once made Al Jarreau famous in Germany overnight. And finally also because, like "Look to the Rainbow", it transports Al Jarreau's special live magic and captures it forever.