GRAMMY Producer of the Year Nominee Larry Klein Queues Up Impressive 2019 Projects

GRAMMY favorite Larry Klein’s recent projects just earned him a Producer of the Year nomination. But what’s on the horizon for the world-class record producer, musician and songwriter promises to be equally remarkable. The four-time GRAMMY winner’s 2019 will be global in scope, with a star-studded album celebrating the legacy of Jacques Brel, new music from Melody Gardot and Kandace Springs, and the introduction of new artist Neev.

Klein’s recently completed album tribute to Jacques Brel features performances of the Belgian icon’s songs by Madeleine Peyroux, Carla Bruni, Marianne Faithfull and others. “I believe Brel to have been the French equivalent of a hybrid of Bob Dylan and Stephen Sondheim, who actually foreshadowed the arrival of singer-songwriter genre, but who also became a filmmaker and actor,” Klein says. “I am a huge Jacques Brel fan, so I was overjoyed at the prospect of working on re-imagining settings for his songs.” The album is set for a spring 2019 release via Universal Music France.

Continuing his longtime passion for delving into music on a global scale, Klein also has completed a project with new Portuguese artist Neev, who will be releasing music through MCA/Universal France in early 2019.  “Neev is an incredibly talented and idiosyncratic young singer and songwriter who has assimilated everything from traditional Portuguese music to classic rock elements from the ’70s to contemporary hip-hop and alternative elements to synthesize an ethos that is entirely his own,” Klein says. “He strikes me as somewhat of a Portuguese Prince in the diversity of his influences, and his precocious skill set as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter.”

This year’s Producer of the Year, Non-Classical nod recognizes Klein’s recent work with Madeleine Peyroux (‘Anthem’), Luciana Souza (‘The Book of Longing’), Hailey Tuck (‘Junk’), Molly Johnson (‘Meaning to Tell You’) and Thomas Dybdahl  (‘All These Things’). Klein has been nominated three times in this category and has eight career GRAMMY nominations.

Klein shared Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Jazz Album GRAMMYs with Herbie Hancock in 2008 for ‘River: The Joni Letters,’ an album of Joni Mitchell’s songs that featured performances by Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner, Norah Jones and others. Klein also has won GRAMMYs for two of the six albums he produced with Mitchell — ‘Turbulent Indigo’ (Best Pop Album, 1996) and ‘Both Sides Now’ (Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, 2001).

An award-winning producer and collaborator who also has done scoring work in film and television, Klein grew up in southern California before touring with jazz greats like Freddie Hubbard and Wayne Shorter and working with such diverse artists as Robbie Robertson, Tracy Chapman and Neil Diamond. Klein has gained special recognition as an astute producer of female singer/songwriters. Klein has continued to explore the areas that lie between genres, circling back to his jazz roots to work with mentors like Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, writing for and producing such hybrid artists as Madeleine Peyroux and Lizz Wright, exploring new areas with artists from around the world such as fado singer and Portuguese star Ana Moura, Norwegian alt-singer-songwriter Thomas Dybdahl and French pop legend Eddy Mitchell. His musical curiosity continues to lead him towards a completely eclectic array of artists and projects from every area of music.