Heaven and Earth (Al Jarreau album)

Heaven and Earth
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 22, 1992
Studio
  • Tarpan Studios (San Rafael, California)
Genre
Length46:59
LabelReprise
Producer
Al Jarreau chronology
Heart's Horizon
(1988)
Heaven and Earth
(1992)
Tenderness
(1994)

Heaven and Earth is a studio album by Al Jarreau. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden[1] and Louis Biancaniello. The album won Jarreau the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male, in 1993. Essentially a collection of R&B songs produced with the artist's jazz and pop sensibilities in mind, Heaven and Earth contains a two-part cover of the Miles Davis tune "Blue in Green", from Davis's Kind of Blue, that demonstrates Jarreau's considerable prowess as a vocal interpreter and scat singer.

Track listing

  1. "What You Do to Me" – 4:35 (Larry Batiste, Louis Biancaniello, Claytoven Richardson, Narada Michael Walden)
  2. "It's Not Hard to Love You" – 6:11 (Sally Jo Dakota, Skyler Jett, Kevin Walden, Narada Michael Walden)
  3. "Blue Angel" – 5:08 (Jett, Jennifer Miro, Narada Michael Walden)
  4. "Heaven and Earth" – 4:27 (Louis Biancaniello, Linda Biancaniello)
  5. "Superfine Love" – 5:24 (Louis Biancaniello, Jeffrey Cohen, Narada Michael Walden)
  6. "Whenever I Hear Your Name" – 5:28 (Cohen, Walden)
  7. "Love of My Life" – 4:01 (Jarreau, Jett, Miro, Walden)
  8. "If I Break" – 5:47 (Jarreau, Mike Mani, Walden)
  9. "(Blue in Green) Tapestry; The Dedication" – 2:53 (Miles Davis, Jarreau)
  10. "(Blue in Green) Tapestry; The Dance" – 3:27 (Davis, Jarreau)

Personnel

  • Al Jarreau – lead vocals, backing vocals (5, 6, 8), vocal percussion (10)
  • Louis "King Pin" Biancaniello – keyboards (1–4, 7), programming (1–4, 7), sampling (1), synthesizers (2, 4, 7), organ (3), horns (3), bass (3), synth solo (4), synth bass (5), additional keyboards (8), additional programming (8)
  • Frank "Killer Bee" Martin – acoustic piano (5, 9, 10), acoustic piano solo (5), keyboards (6), synthesizers (6), flute (6)
  • Mike Mani – keyboards (8), programming (8), "spooky elements" (8)
  • Vernon "Ice" Black – guitars (1)
  • Corrado Rustici – guitars (5)
  • Myron Dove – electric bass (1)
  • Joel Smith – electric bass (2, 7, 10)
  • Jeff Chambers – acoustic bass (9)
  • Narada Michael Walden – drums, synthesizers (5)
  • Marquinho Brazil – percussion (5)
  • Dan Higgins – saxophones (1)
  • Jerry Hey – trumpet (1)
  • Robbie Kwock – trumpet (5)
  • Paul McCandlessoboe (8)
  • Kitty Beethoven – backing vocals (1, 2)
  • Nikita Germaine – backing vocals (1, 7)
  • Sandy Griffith – backing vocals (1, 2, 7), spoken parts (2)
  • Skyler Jett – backing vocals (1–3, 7, 8)
  • Claytoven Richardson – backing vocals (1–4, 7, 8)
  • Chris Hawkins – backing vocals (2)
  • Raz Kennedy – backing vocals (3)
  • Tony Lindsay – backing vocals (4, 6, 8)
  • Jeanie Tracy – backing vocals (4)
  • Rebecca West – backing vocals (4)
  • Boni Boyer – lead backing vocals (7)

Music arrangements

  • Narada Michael Walden – rhythm arrangements (1–9), vocal arrangements (3, 6)
  • Louis Biancaniello – horn arrangements (1), synthesizer arrangements (3)
  • Al Jarreau – vocal arrangements (1)
  • Claytoven Richardson – vocal arrangements (1)
  • Frank Martin – synthesizer arrangements (5), rhythm arrangements (6), string arrangements (6, 8–10), conductor (8–10)
  • Mike Mani – synthesizer arrangements (8)

Production

  • Narada Michael Walden – producer
  • Louis Biancaniello – co-producer (1, 4)
  • Frank Martin – associate producer (6), co-producer (9, 10)
  • David Frazer – recording, mixing
  • Jeff Gray – assistant engineer
  • Marc Reyburn – additional engineer
  • Janice Lee – production coordinator
  • Kelly McRae – production coordinator
  • Cynthia Shiloh – production coordinator
  • Kevin Walden – production coordinator
  • Robby Scharf – project coordinator
  • Deborah Norcross – art direction
  • Hard Werken (Los Angeles, California) – design
  • Merlyn Rosenberg – photography
  • Patrick Rains & Associates – management

References

  1. ^ Ginell, Richard S. "Heaven and Earth". AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2018.