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I first heard Kevyn Lettau in 1977, at Robb Field in OB, with Peter Sprague's Dance Of The Universe Orchestra. She sang "Over The Rainbow" and "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and even then, as a teenager, she was something special.
When the group became the virtual "house-band" at Elario's a few years later, I caught them several times a week for months and learned to love standards because of the way she performed them.
Blessed with an astonishing instrument that she has worked tirelessly to perfect, Lettau has mastered the art of song in many contexts. She absorbed Brazilian music so well with Sprague and company that she went on to join Sergio Mendez' Brazil 99 for many years. In the 90s, she formed the trio BrasilJazz with Sprague and LA drummer / producer Michael Shapiro.
Lettau can still hit any note, and unlike many of the current generation of "drop-dead" beautiful singers, she avoids the unnecessary melisma that has become comedy fodder.
She has recorded 12 CDs over the years, "Simple Life", and "Another Season" being two of the best.
Since moving back to San Diego a few years back, she's been performing in a duo and other configurations with Sprague again. You can catch the two on Friday, June 2, at Ki's Restaurant in Cardiff.
(photo by Michael Oletta)
I first heard Kevyn Lettau in 1977, at Robb Field in OB, with Peter Sprague's Dance Of The Universe Orchestra. She sang "Over The Rainbow" and "I Get A Kick Out Of You", and even then, as a teenager, she was something special.
When the group became the virtual "house-band" at Elario's a few years later, I caught them several times a week for months and learned to love standards because of the way she performed them.
Blessed with an astonishing instrument that she has worked tirelessly to perfect, Lettau has mastered the art of song in many contexts. She absorbed Brazilian music so well with Sprague and company that she went on to join Sergio Mendez' Brazil 99 for many years. In the 90s, she formed the trio BrasilJazz with Sprague and LA drummer / producer Michael Shapiro.
Lettau can still hit any note, and unlike many of the current generation of "drop-dead" beautiful singers, she avoids the unnecessary melisma that has become comedy fodder.
She has recorded 12 CDs over the years, "Simple Life", and "Another Season" being two of the best.
Since moving back to San Diego a few years back, she's been performing in a duo and other configurations with Sprague again. You can catch the two on Friday, June 2, at Ki's Restaurant in Cardiff.
(photo by Michael Oletta)