Speaking In Tongues is a suite of musical poetry with the theme of language at its core. Luciana Souza s stunning new album for Sunnyside Records draws on the talents of four of the most creative musicians working in Jazz today; players who, along with Luciana, come from five different places on the planet, and have five different languages as their native tongues. Together with the extraordinary vision of producer Larry Klein, they have melded their creative voices into an exciting new tributary of Jazz; one that breaks down compositional and sonic walls, and treads onto fresh ground in every sense. The Grammy Award winning vocalist and composer describes her new project as a musical inquiry into language and conversation.
Luciana Souza grew up in Brazil in a musical household where ever-present musicians and friends introduced her to the joy of expressing herself through participation in communal music making. It was her godfather, the eclectic Brazilian legend Hermeto Pascoal, who encouraged her to sing along with instruments and enmesh herself in the ensemble. As she evolved as a singer, Luciana understood that the primary force in Jazz was listening, which is the basis for learning any language. Luciana s musical education and development has taken her from Brazil to Boston, New York, and now Los Angeles. Her artistry reflects her distinctive upbringing and her devotion to developing music that communicates without boundaries - her ventures into Jazz and Brazilian, as well as Classical and Contemporary orchestral music, have always been imbued with a sense of adventure and respect for tradition, while consistently searching for the new.