Search - Elaine Lucia :: Sings Jazz and Other Things

Great new jazz voice

E. C Goodstein | Northern CA United States | 02/15/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I agree wholeheartedly with Mark's review. I just discovered this album, thanks to reference by Herb Wong, who wrote the liner notes. Lucia has a high beautiful voice. She sings it straight or with swing, great clarity & diction (a bit like Singer's Unlimited's Bonnie Herman). There are also hints of smoldering sultriness & passion which recall another great high-voiced young singer, Tiernay Sutton. Highlights for me are "It Might as Well Be Spring," with some surprising twists, & Mitcell's "All I Want"-- a thoughtful, heartfelt reading. But it's all great."

A major new talent

Mark J. Moerman | Vancouver, USA | 05/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had the pleasure of discovering Elaine Lucia when she and her backing trio were the opening act at a recent Al Stewart concert. In the annals of all of the heretofore unknown opening acts I've ever had to sit through at concerts over the years, Elaine and her band certainly stand as one of the most pleasant surprises. She and her musicians are very tight, loose enough to be a lot of fun but with the discipline to keep it sharp. This studio recording captures the spark and vitality of that live performance. Elaine herself has a fluid, endearing voice and personality and a natural jazz vocal style ranging from the playful to the strong, incorporating a bit of scat singing, and just enough vocal pyrotechnics to show that she has the chops but wisely avoiding the oversinging that so plagues female vocalists of today (the Mariah/Whitney syndrome). She places her own stamp on classics like "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "Old Devil Moon", and positively smolders on the Joni Mitchell song "All I Want," which brought the house down at the aforementioned concert performance. I look forward to future recordings from Elaine."