Recorded originally for Japan’s Pony Canyon label, ‘Velas’ stands as a musical summit for Brazilian jazz sporting arrangements that are fully in tune with the American ear.

Much of the credit for the success of the Velas CD belongs to a name that is nowhere to be found in liner notes: Sergio Mendes. A quick glance at the line-up here reads like a ‘who’s who’ list: guitarists Oscar Castro-Neves and John Pisano, drummers Luis Conte and Claudio Slon and keyboardist and singer Kleber Jorge all have long connections to Mendes, and Lettau sang with Sergio’s band for several years.

The musicianship is telling, especially under the direction of Pisano and Conte – these songs take on a sheen all their own, and its easy to hear how this synergy resulted in music above and beyond the written note. Songs like ‘Muito Mais’ and ‘Voltei Pra Ficar’ showcase Lettau’s soaring musical spirit – and its from this project that she went on to carve out her own niche in Brazilian song. In many ways, you could easily consider this to be the ‘hidden’ Kevyn Lettau recording!

You could also say the same for Yutaka’s role here - his arrangements and keyboard play sizzle at every turn. The smoothly passionate style that we’ve come to love on his subsequent CDs ‘Another Sun’ and ‘Brazaisa’ is prominent throughout each of the 11 tracks on Velas.

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