Ohio’s Legend evolves on 3rd album

By John Benson

The evolution of R&B/soul singer-songwriter John Legend continues on the Springfield, Ohio, native’s third studio album “Evolver,” which was released in 2008 and so far has sold more than 600,000 copies.

“I think each album goes into the definition of who I am,” said Legend, calling from Indianapolis. “I don’t think the third one any more so than the first or second, but I think loosely you can call me a pop-soul artist. And each track on the album has its own place. There’s a variety from ‘Green Light,’ which is obviously a club track, to a song like ‘No Other Love,’ which is reggae. And then there’s ‘Everybody Knows’ which is like a midtempo ballad. So I think all of those songs help define what that album is.”

The definition of John Legend, born John Stephens, began more than a decade ago when the University of Pennsylvania English major started performing in pop-jazz a cappella acts. While still in school, his voice attracted the attention of Lauryn Hill.

The solo Fugees singer featured Legend on piano for her song “Everything is Everything,” which appeared on her critically acclaimed solo debut, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.”

It wasn’t until he finished college and began working a regular day job that music became Legend’s full-time passion. In 2001 he crossed paths with a then-unknown artist named Kanye West, who used Legend as a back-up singer for his debut album, “The College Dropout.”

Legend’s big debut occurred a few years later with his multiplatinum solo debut, “Get Lifted” and hit singles “Used to Love U” and “Ordinary People.” Sophomore effort “Once Again” followed in 2006. In the meantime, Legend has become known for his powerful live shows that feature an 11-piece backing band. You can see Legend and company in action Saturday at the Nautica Pavilion in Cleveland.

“When you have three horns and three backup vocalists, it gives you a lot of flexibility to do a lot of different things and a bigger sound,” Legend said. “And considering no tour of mine is the same, we do some things to change up the arrangements and we bring in some new cover songs to keep it interesting. With like ‘Used to Love U,’ I think the way we arrange it for this show makes it feel like it could have been a part of ‘Evolver,’ but then there are other songs that I make more soulful than they were before. Even more intimate than they were before.”

He added, “So we put it together in ways that people might not expect. That’s really what you want an artist to do, you just don’t want to hear the album replicated. I think you want to know that the artists put some time in when putting the show together.”

When Legend isn’t putting some time into his career, he said up next is a collaborative project with The Roots to be released in 2010, the 30-year-old is following college football. And once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye is what Legend says regarding his Ohio roots.

As far as what he expects from the Ohio State University football team in 2009, Legend is hopeful. “I think we’ll win the Big Ten again, but it’s been disappointing lately,” Legend said. “I think the problem is the Big 10 hasn’t been giving us enough competition, so when we get to the finals and playing against the SEC teams, we’re not ready.

“And also we need Michigan to get better, as blasphemous as that sounds. We just need more competition.”

If you go

Who: John Legend with India Arie and Vaughn Anthony

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Nautica Pavilion, 2014 Sycamore, Cleveland

Tickets: $36 to $80.50 at Ticketmaster outlets