Al Jarreau - Al Jarreau in London

This is a snapshot of Al Jarreau a few years after achieving pop stardom, caught live before a large crowd at London's Wembley Arena. In contrast with the lean, dynamically subtle backup band on the earlier live Look to the Rainbow, here Jarreau arms himself with a flashy, heavily electronic R&B/funk band with horns, and subtlety often goes out the window in favor of high-energy showmanship.

Unlike his studio albums from this period, though, this concert allows him a little bit of room to display glimpses of his famous vocal acrobatics. The set starts with a burst of high-tech pizzazz on "Raging Waters" and "Black and Blues" and ultimately settles into a partying groove with "Roof Garden" and "We're In This Love Together." Though the concert makes for a pleasurable listen in the home, Warner could not capture the intimate connection that the live Jarreau made with his audiences in any of his periods, so one feels a bit removed from the action.

Richard S. Ginell Deluxe Edition Recorded at Wembley Arena, London, England in November 1984. Personnel: James Studer (vocals, keyboards); Michael Paulo (flute, saxophone); Michael "Patches" Stewart (trumpet, flugelhorn); Robbie Buchanan (synthesizer); Malando Gassana (percussion). Audio Mixer: Bill Schnee. Liner Note Author: Joe Reagoso. Recording information: Bill Schnee Studio (11/1984); Wembley Arena, London, England (11/1984). Photographer: Kevin Stapleton. Personnel: Al Jarreau (vocals); Steve George, Richard Page (vocals); Charles "Icarus" Johnson (vocals, guitar); Michael Paulo (flute, saxophone); Michael "Patches" Stewart (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jerry Hey (trumpet); Bobby Lyle, James Studer (keyboards, background vocals); Robbie Buchanan (synthesizer, bass); Larry Williams (synthesizer); Nathan East (bass, background vocals); Malando Gassama (percussion);Michael Casey Young (programming).