Al Jarreau: Has The Adult Contemporary Songwriter Eclipsed The Jazz Singer?

FOUR JARREAU brothers grew up in Milwaukee. They all sang. Three still live there. "My older brother had a fine tenor voice," Al recalls. "The next one was more the jazzer. I'd sit around and watch them rehearse, and I learned a lot. They did sort of Four Freshmen harmonies — maybe not as sophisticated as the Hi Los, but very good. That's where I learned a lot of it — one brother would sing a line, and we'd sing it back. Or he'd make a funny sound with his mouth, and we'd repeat it. Walking to the store, or to church... my father was a preacher, and until I was about ten, that's what I wanted to be too." Jarreau smiles, and reflects for a moment.