Asking vocalist Kevyn Lettau what kind of music she enjoys singing is the same as watching a rainbow appear from the clouds. Her clear, fluid voice lends itself to a variety of styles and sources. And with the release of ‘Universal Language’ its easy to see how Lettau can communicate a world full of stories and feelings.
“It dawned on me, while I was on tour in Europe, that it doesn’t matter if people don’t speak the same language,” says Kevyn. “Communication will happen if you just open up your heart… If you’re warm and real.”
Universal Language and it’s 12 tracks cover a wide range of material, from Brazilian to pop, to straight ahead jazz with a style that is unmistakable. Listen to the melodies collected in this album and you'll find that the translation from voice to ear is remarkable in it’s ease and grace.
Eight years of touring and recording with Sergio Mendes as well as with Brazilian artists and groups such as Ivan Lins, Dori Caymmi and Velas has given Kevyn Lettau a unique perspective. She’s always incorporated a Brazilian pulse to help define and expand her positive message of both musical and human harmony.
Universal Language includes “Beatriz,” written by Edu Lobo and Chico Buarque. Filled with emotion and an unmistakable warmth that transcends it’s Portuguese lyrics, Kevyn admits that its “the most difficult song I’ve ever sung,” Even more impressive is that it was recorded “live” with keyboard wiz Russell Ferrante.
‘Underneath The Face Of The Moon’ penned by Kleber Jorge carries the soft Bossa flair of the summer nights in Rio, while ‘Our Lasting Love’ gives the Yutaka original a delightfully playful spin as a contemporary samba. And Kevyn delivers a touching tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim with a nod to Astrud Gilberto on ‘Never Trust Your Heart’.
Another surprise with Universal Language is her gift of words to Pat Metheny’s ‘So It May Secretly Begin’. Marrying music to her poetry has always been one of Kevyn Lettau’s talents, and her gift of words perfectly completes the song’s intent. This talent repeats itself with the album’s title track, written by Djavan. Once again, Lettau captures all of the song’s magic by providing wonderful and uplifting lyrics in English.
Although born in the US, Lettau was raised in Berlin, and the beautiful ‘Den Ist Mein Ganzes Herz’ is her tribute to years of personal growth and the insight she’s achieved as an artist, singer and songwriter.
Other Voices:
From the artist -
"This was the last recording I made for an American based company for 10 long years. I had high hopes for this record. I felt we had created a wonderful combination of beautiful music that would be able to cross over into what was happening to Jazz radio. Let me try to briefly explain; there used be 2 kinds of Jazz radio; the traditional, which plays only acoustic Jazz, and the "Smooth Jazz", which 12 years ago was still open to playing live music without drum machines and with interesting harmonies and solos. As Smooth Jazz kept getting smoother (is that a word?), they stopped playing my music and I fell into this crack between the acoustic and the smooth. Oh well, such is life!
On this record I wrote lyrics to some songs that had been written as instrumentals like Pat Metheny's "Secretly Begin" and a song by Brazil's composer Djavan. I love doing that. The melodies are challenging and so much fun to sing!
Jazz pianist, Billy Childs and I wrote two songs. I wrote my first lyric to a melody by Yutaka. I was also very excited to get to record a few more songs from the pen of Michael Ruff on this recording and we were able to have him play with us too!
I have been so lucky to get to play music with some of the best piano players in the world; Mitchell Forman, Russell Ferrente and Billy Childs, all of which are featured on this CD!"
