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| Straight, No Chaser | |
|---|---|
| Name | Straight, No Chaser |
| Type | studio |
| Artist | Joe Jackson |
| Released | 1988 |
| Recorded | 1987–1988 |
| Studio | AIR Studios |
| Genre | Pop, Jazz, Vocal jazz |
| Length | 42:36 |
| Label | A&M Records |
| Producer | Joe Jackson, Ed Roynesdal |
| Prev title | Will Power |
| Prev year | 1987 |
| Next title | Blaze of Glory |
| Next year | 1989 |
Straight, No Chaser is a 1988 studio album by English singer-songwriter Joe Jackson (musician). The record marked a return to jazz and standards after Jackson's forays into new wave and synth-pop and features reinterpretations of classic songs alongside originals. The album involved collaborations with arrangers and session musicians from London, recorded in prominent studios and released by A&M Records.
Jackson conceived the album amid critical attention from publications such as Rolling Stone, NME, Melody Maker, The Guardian, and The Times (London), following work on Body and Soul and the instrumental project Will Power. Influences cited include classic performers and composers like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billy Strayhorn, Hoagy Carmichael, Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers, Johnny Mercer, and arrangers such as Nelson Riddle and Gordon Jenkins. Jackson revisited standards from the Great American Songbook alongside original compositions shaped by jazz pianists Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, Art Tatum, Tadd Dameron, and Erroll Garner.
The album's composition blended vocal interpretations, piano-driven arrangements, and horn charts informed by big band traditions from ensembles like the Count Basie Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and the legacy of swing leaders Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, and Les Brown. Song selection referenced songwriters such as Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer, Ray Noble, Harry Warren, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern, Stephen Sondheim, and Cole Porter while Jackson's originals drew on narrative songwriting traditions linked to Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Paul Simon, and Van Morrison.
Recorded at AIR Studios, Abbey Road Studios, and other London facilities, the production employed engineers and producers who had worked with artists like The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, David Bowie, Queen, Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Brian Eno. Session musicians included brass and woodwind players associated with the BBC Big Band and sidemen who had performed with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan, and Mel Tormé. The album was produced under the A&M Records banner and distributed alongside releases by contemporaries such as Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Madness, Blondie, and INXS in late 1988.
Promotional appearances tied to the release involved broadcasts on BBC Radio 1, performances on Top of the Pops, interviews with presenters from MTV, sessions for PRI programs, and features in Billboard, Q Magazine, and Time. A supporting tour touched venues associated with jazz and pop histories, including Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, The Troubadour, and The Apollo Theater.
Contemporary reviews appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Spin, NME, Melody Maker, The Independent, and The Village Voice. Critics compared the project to reinterpretations by Linda Ronstadt, Bette Midler, Harry Connick Jr., k.d. lang, Van Morrison, and revival efforts by artists on Blue Note Records, Verve Records, Columbia Records, and Decca Records. Commentators referenced the influence of arrangers like Quincy Jones, Giorgio Moroder, and Jerry Leiber while noting Jackson's arrangements echoed traditions from Norman Granz and producers linked to the American Songbook revival.
Over time the album has been discussed in academic and musicological contexts alongside writings on popular music by scholars affiliated with institutions such as Oxford University, University of Cambridge, Berklee College of Music, Juilliard School, and publications from Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. Retrospectives in Mojo, Uncut, and anniversary pieces in Pitchfork and The Guardian have reassessed its role in Jackson's discography.
Upon release the album entered national charts tracked by organizations like Official Charts Company, Billboard 200, ARIA Charts, Canadian RPM, GfK Entertainment Charts, and chart bureaus in Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Japan. Sales certifications were recorded by industry bodies including the Recording Industry Association of America, British Phonographic Industry, Australian Recording Industry Association, and Music Canada. The commercial performance was discussed alongside contemporaneous releases from George Michael, Annie Lennox, U2, Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, and Sting.
The project influenced later crossover efforts by artists such as Norah Jones, Michael Bublé, Diana Krall, Jamie Cullum, Steven Page, Eric Clapton, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, and Elvis Costello. It contributed to discussions in media outlets including BBC Four, PBS, NPR, Sirius XM, and music documentaries by Ken Burns, Martin Scorsese, and producers at BBC Music. The album's repertoire has been cited in curricula at Berklee College of Music, Royal Academy of Music, and workshops affiliated with Red Bull Music Academy and influenced setlists in jazz clubs such as Village Vanguard, Blue Note Jazz Club, Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, and Yoshi's.
Category:1988 albums Category:Joe Jackson albums