Kevyn Lettau - Another Season (1994)

With the right producer and the right guidance from an A&R person, Kevyn Lettau might have recorded a truly strong album for JVC in the '90s. But JVC wanted to make sure that the singer enjoyed as much airplay on NAC radio as possible; so her JVC output, although generally likable, wasn't as risk-taking or as interesting as it should have been. A pleasant though unremarkable quiet storm recording, Another Season fared well on NAC radio thanks to mellow, relaxed tunes such as "Summer of Dreams," "Father, Mother" and "Lead Me Inside Your Love." Also memorable are Lettau's lush version of Gershwin's "I've Got a Crush on You" and "Ella," a Brazilian-flavored ode to Ella Fitzgerald. To Lettau's credit, she was insightful enough to salute Fitzgerald when she was still alive instead of waiting until her death in 1996. NAC audiences might have thought of Another Season as jazz singing, but it's really an album of mildly jazzy pop/R&B along the lines of Angela Bofill, Anita Baker and Jean Carn. Lettau, however, has a sweeter quality to her voice and isn't as gritty as those singers; grit, in fact, is something this album could use more of. Another Season isn't a bad album, but it's definitely an album that plays it way too safe. (by Alex Henderson)