Jarreau is the name of Al Jarreau’s 1983 album. It’s a simple, straightforward title, but if you ask me, it’s missing an exclamation point at the end — the multiple Grammy winner puts such joy and excitement into his performances that it’s hard not to feel as giddy as he does.
The big hit from Jarreau was “Mornin’.” It still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. One reason is the lyrics (the song was written by Jarreau, David Foster, and Jay Graydon), which are uplifting in more ways than one:
My heart will soar with love
That’s rare and real
My smiling face
Will feel every cloud
Then higher still
Beyond the blue
Until I know I can
Like any man
Reach out my hand
And touch the face of God
What really sells the bridge is Jarreau’s delivery of the second verse. By the time he gets to “touch the face of God,” he’s pretty much done just that, leaving a mere mortal like myself marveling at the minor pop miracle I’ve witnessed. All in all, “Mornin’” is a solidly constructed, catchy song, but that moment in the bridge is absolutely transcendent — eternal rebirth captured in a four-minute “easy listening” number.
