如果你仍在黑暗的爵士丛林中冒险的话，那么对于八○年代以后的爵士流派，是否有雾里看花难以分辨的感觉？其实，此时期之后的爵士乐主要分成四大支派：融合爵士、新古典主义爵士、自由爵士、作曲爵士。但是，因乐手在不同的流派中进进出出，因而风格辨识的困难，也造成乐迷的困扰，艾尔贾诺（Al Jarreau），就是其中一个明显的例子！对于艾尔贾诺这位横跨了六○年代到九○年代的男歌手来说，音乐的类型本来不是他吸引人的主因，因为他的爵士歌手身份、节奏蓝调的表现，向来有目共睹。他同时还跨足流行乐界，演唱成人抒情歌曲及软式摇滚。使得他成为赢得到了爵士、节奏蓝调、流行歌手等多类葛莱美奖，乐风之广堪称史上第一。因此艾尔贾诺的流派为何，斯乎难以理清且无关紧要，因为听众动容的是他完美无暇的歌声，他的嗓音征服了爵士迷、流行迷、甚至节奏蓝调迷！辉煌的表现 1940年四月，艾尔贾诺出生於威斯康辛的密尔瓦基。父亲是一介牧师，因此艾尔贾诺从小就在教堂合唱团演唱，奠定了他的音乐基础。随後，他依一般人的生活模式求学，修得了心理学硕士学位，并就业成为社工人员，一切的过程就好像是普通人一样平凡，直到举家迁往洛杉矶後，他才考虑前往演艺界发展。六○年代中期，他先在西岸的俱乐部驻唱当歌手，展现其傲人的歌声，其间亦出了数张唱片，但是因为成绩平平，并没有得到多大的重视，只是位出了数张唱片的小歌手。然後，一切的改变在1975年出现了，此时他换了新的一家唱片公司Reprise，出版了一张新的专辑《We Got By》引起各方瞩目，许多赞赏的评语接踵而至：「完美的唱腔」、「转音处毫无瑕疵」、「诠释的美感，表现出歌曲自然风味」等等佳评一再地恭维他，使得他的演唱事业如日中天。演唱会专辑《Look to the Rainbow》打入美国的专辑排行榜的前五十大，在当时由白人所主导的乐界而言，是一件相当难能可贵的事。1981年出版的《Breaking Away》更打入了排行榜前十大专辑，也赢得了葛莱美奖的流行及爵士的奖项，更他在乐界的成绩光彩夺目。i.e.Music的贾诺全纪录这次i.e.Music所出版的七张专辑，无疑是艾尔贾诺在宝丽金唱片公司录音作品的全纪录。首先是1983年发行的同名专辑《Jarreau》，此张唱片的曲风热烈，活泼轻快，贾诺醇厚的歌声晕染在硬节奏的鼓点下，配之以电吉他疯狂的弹奏，令人讶异其音乐的表现。此种快节奏似如电子舞曲型式的表现，确有令人一清耳目之感，如专辑中的〈Boogie Down〉或是〈Mornin'〉，更是令人震撼，此种快节奏的融合乐，令老爵士迷瞠目结舌。1984年出版的罪大恶极《High Crime》，摇滚音乐的味道更重了，意识型态更为刚硬。重节奏的电子乐器一开始，便提供了如同重金属般的激昂享受，而Jarreau的歌声在乐器之上嘹亮地唱出〈High Crime〉的放克节奏的断句，挥洒出淋漓尽致的流行感受。1985年的伦敦现场演唱会《Al Jarreau in London》，表现出前所未有的活力，四十多岁的他依旧展现出强而有力的演唱精神，融合爵士、放克舞曲、节奏蓝调的元素在此相互激荡，由现场观众的热烈呼声可以感受到此场演唱会的疯狂。92年推出之专辑《Heaven and Earth》，是一张得到葛莱美奖节奏蓝调奖项的专辑，也因之使的此张唱片成为流行乐界的一张重要专辑，不论快歌慢调的表现，一脉的艾尔贾诺，一脉独家音乐及歌声表现的艾尔贾诺。而94年的专辑《Tendrness》则是另一番跨界的体验，不论是演奏所请来的乐界大将外，尚包含了知名女高音凯萨琳·芭托的跨刀演出爵士乐曲〈My favorite things〉，专辑中的音乐包含了各种类型，也可藉此一窥贾诺歌唱的情怀，尤其是经典名曲〈Try a little tenderness〉或者是艾尔顿强的名曲〈Your song〉都表现出一派巨星风采，而耐吉足球的广告配乐〈Mas que nada〉（坦巴三重奏原唱）亦收录进去，可惜的是巴西原味尽失，让人略有所失。听过这七张专辑，我简单地描绘心中的艾尔贾诺：「一个融入放克舞曲及节奏蓝调风的融合爵士乐手，一个游走于流行、爵士边缘的全能歌王。by Jason AnkenyThe only vocalist in history to net Grammy Awards in three different categories (jazz, pop, and R&B, respectively), Al Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, WI, on March 12, 1940. The son of a vicar, he earned his first performing experience singing in the church choir. After receiving his masters degree in psychology, Jarreau pursued a career as a social worker, but eventually he decided to relocate to Los Angeles and try his hand in show business, playing small clubs throughout the West Coast. He recorded an LP in the mid-60s, but largely remained an unknown, not reentering the studio for another decade. Upon signing to Reprise, Jarreau resurfaced in 1975 with We Got By, earning acclaim for his sophisticated brand of vocalese and winning positive comparison to the likes of Billy Eckstine and Johnny Mathis. After 1976s Glow, Jarreau issued the following years Look to the Rainbow, a two-disc live set that reached the Top 50 on the U.S. album charts. With 1981s Breakin Away, he entered the Top Ten, scoring a pair of hits with Were in This Love Together and the title track. After recording 1986s L Is for Lover with producer Nile Rodgers, Jarreau scored a hit with the theme to the popular television program Moonlighting, but his mainstream pop success was on the wane, and subsequent efforts like 1992s Heaven and Earth and 1994s Tenderness found greater success with adult contemporary audiences. A string of budget compilations and original albums hit the shelves at the end of the decade, but into the turn of the century his original output slowed down. That was until he signed with the Verve/GRP label in 1998 and reunited with producer Tommy LiPuma. LiPuma had produced Jarreaus ostensible 1975 debut, We Got By, and the pairing seemed to reinvigorate Jarreau, who went on to release three stellar albums under LiPumas guidance, including 2000s Tomorrow Today, 2002s All I Got, and 2004s Accentuate the Positive. 2006s Givin It Up, recorded with George Benson, was nominated for three Grammy Awards — each one for a different song.