Al Jarreau to Play Smothers Theatre, 12/15

With his unique vocal style, Grammy Award-winning Al Jarreau is one of the world's musical treasures. This special concert at Smothers Theatre in Malibu at 8 p.m. on Monday, December 15, showcases his warm, inimitable voice interpreting favorite holiday classics, as well as some of his biggest hits.

Tickets, priced starting at $40 for the public and $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or online at http://arts.pepperdine.edu/. More information: http://aljarreau.com/.

Al Jarreau's innovative musical expressions have made him one of the most exciting and critically acclaimed performers of our time, with seven Grammy Awards, scores of international music awards, and popular accolades worldwide.

Jarreau has been singing since the age of four, growing up harmonizing with his brothers and performing solo at a variety of local events in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, it wasn't until he moved to San Francisco that Jarreau's natural musical gifts began to shape his future. He found himself performing at a small jazz club with a trio headed by George Duke, and by the late 1960s he knew, without a doubt, that he would make singing his life.

Working out of Los Angeles and New York, Jarreau held apprenticeships in such famed nightspots as Dino's, the Troubadour, and the Bitter End West, as well as gained national network television exposure with Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, David Frost and Mike Douglas.

In 1975, following an extended stint at the Bla Bla Cafe in Los Angeles, Jarreau signed a record contract with Warner Brothers Records. His debut album for the label, We Got By, was released to unanimous acclaim. But Al's career breakthrough came in 1977 when Warner Brothers Records released Look to the Rainbow, his live double album, which was culled from his first world tour from that same year and earned him his first Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance.

His fourth album, All Fly Home, was released in 1978 to further accolades and a second Grammy for Best Jazz Vocalist. It was followed by a string of innovative and original offerings, including: the million-selling Breakin' Away, which brought him a broader audience and two more Grammy Awards for Best Male Pop Vocalist and Best Male Jazz Vocalist; the Grammy-nominated R&B album Heart's Horizon; a fifth Grammy for Best R&B Performance for the 1992 album Heaven and Earth; and the opportunity to sing the Grammy-nominated theme song for the hit television series Moonlighting. In 1996, Jarreau also accepted a three-month stint on Broadway playing the role of 'Teen Angel' in the hit musical Grease!

Jarreau received his own Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March 2001, commemorating his status as one of the best singers of his generation. Only five years later, Jarreau celebrated his third decade in the music business by pairing up with the legendary R&B guitarist and singer George Benson for the album Givin' It Up, which was nominated for three Grammys and featured many guest artists, including Herbie Hancock, Sir Paul McCartney, Jill Scott, Chris Botti and Patti Austin.

After more than thirty years, Al Jarreau is undoubtedly one of the greatest performers and innovative vocalists the music world has ever known. He continues to tour extensively worldwide with his sextet and Symphony shows, and is currently working on a new album.

The Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University provides high-quality activities for over 50,000 people from 664 zip codes annually through performances, rehearsals, museum exhibitions, and master classes. Located on Pepperdine's breathtaking Malibu campus overlooking the Pacific, the center serves as a hub for the arts, uniquely linking professional guest artists with Pepperdine students as well as patrons from surrounding Southern California communities. Facilities include the 450-seat Smothers Theatre, the 118-seat Raitt Recital Hall, the "black box" Helen E. Lindhurst Theatre, and the Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art.

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