This Time (Al Jarreau album)

This Time is the fourth studio album by Jazz vocalist Al Jarreau, released in 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. The release marked a change in Jarreau's sound to a more R&B-oriented flavor. As a result, the album achieved more success on the mainstream charts than his previous works, while also topping the Jazz Charts. It also reached No. 6 on the R&B charts and No. 27 on the Billboard 200.^[2]" In 1981 "Never Givin' Up" gave Jarreau a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.

This Time marked Jarreau's first foray into the top 40 on the Hot 200 or top 10 on the R&B charts, as well as his first No. 1 on the Jazz charts.^[3] His next album would prove even more successful, topping both the Jazz and R&B charts.

"Never Givin' Up" received a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male in 1981, Jarreau's first nomination in the R&B field. It lost to Jarreau's Warner Bros. labelmate George Benson for the Give Me the Night album,^[6] who had recently undergone a similar change in sound.^[7]

Musicians

• Al Jarreau – vocals, backing vocals (1–3, 5, 7), vocal percussion (1, 4)
• Greg Mathieson – acoustic piano (1), string synthesizer (1, 3–5)
• Jay Graydon – synthesizer programming (1–3, 5, 8), electric guitar (1–3, 5, 7, 8)
• Tom Canning – Fender Rhodes (2, 4, 5, 8), acoustic piano (3, 5, 8), bells (8)
• David Foster – acoustic piano (2), Fender Rhodes (3, 9)
• Michael Omartian – string synthesizer (2, 8)
• Larry Williams – synthesizers (3, 6, 8), Fender Rhodes (6)
• Steve George – synthesizers (7)
• George Duke – Fender Rhodes (7)
• Oscar Castro-Neves – gut-string guitar (1)
• Dean Parks – electric guitar (3, 5)
• Earl Klugh – gut-string guitar (9)
• Abraham Laboriel – bass
• Ralph Humphrey – drums (1, 4, 5, 9), percussion (4)
• Carlos Vega – drums (2, 3)
• Steve Gadd – drums (6–8)
• Earl Lon Price – alto sax solo (7)
• Bill Reichenbach Jr. – trombone (3, 7)
• Chuck Findley – trumpet (3, 7)
• Jerry Hey – flugelhorn (1, 2, 7, 8), trumpet (3, 7)
• Les Thompson – harmonica solo (5)

Music arrangements

• Al Jarreau – rhythm arrangements (1–4, 7–9)
• Tom Canning – rhythm arrangements (1, 2, 5, 8)
• Jerry Hey – horn arrangements (1, 3, 7)
• Greg Mathieson – rhythm arrangements (1)
• Jay Graydon – rhythm arrangements (2–4, 7–9)
• Tom Kellock – rhythm arrangements (3)
• Earl Klugh – rhythm arrangements (9)

• Jay Graydon – producer, remix engineer, overdub engineer
• Joe Bogan – basic track engineer
• Debbie Thompson – second basic track engineer
• Bernie Grundman – mastering at A&M Mastering Studios (Hollywood, California)
• Richard Seireeni – art direction
• Richard Avedon – cover photography
• Susan Jarreau – sleeve photography
• Harry Mittman – still life
• Patrick Rains & Associates – management