BIOGRAPHY

Lucinda Peters is clearly out of the ordinary. After all, jazz artists seldom explode like star-bursts upon an unsuspecting audience. Rather they tend to rise steadily in stature, gradually gaining experience and finding what it is they want to express. No one seems to have told Lucinda that. She seemed to suddenly arrive on the Sydney jazz scene only a couple of years ago, immediately lighting it up with her sensual, stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks voice and unassuming yet utterly captivating stage presence.

Before she had an album to her name, or had played any bigger gigs than restaurants and bars, she was put on the cover of The Sydney Morning Herald’s "Metro" entertainment guide. Who else has managed that? She was there because the total package is so remarkable: her voice, her presence, her double-bass playing and songs that are worthy of having been written by much more mature and famed composers. Of course she didn’t burst out of a vacuum. She grew up in a musical family in Adelaide, surrounded by the sounds of violin, cello, harp, piano, organ, and recorders. Lucinda began learning the piano at the age of five, then classical guitar at six.

Fifteen years of studying classical guitar gave her the background to be able to pick up the double-bass with relative ease, in it finding a highly unusual backing for her singing, which became her true, overriding passion.

Through the mid-1990s she sang and played bass with the Aboriginal group, Mixed Relations Band, which took her all around Australia, as well as to New Zealand, Norfolk Island, America and England.

She then settled on jazz as the medium, which allowed her the greatest freedom of expression.

With that ability to give so much to the listener, there was no holding Lucinda back. She soon attracted the support of that famed national treasure and jazz icon, Don Burrows.

With Don’s advice and encouragement she planned her first album, the tender and euphoric Show Me The Way To Your Heart, For this stunning debut she has attracted the talents of the cream of the Australian jazz scene, including pianists Kevin Hunt and Sean Wayland, guitarist James Muller, vibraphonist Daryl Pratt and drummers Simon Barker and Nick McBride, as well as the inimitable Burrows himself.

But as exceptional as the musical company she keeps is, the real stars of the album are Lucinda’s delightful songs and her impossibly pure voice.

In the last few years since the success of her first album Show Me the Way to Your Heart, Lucinda has had the opportunity to tour to Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.

In 2003 with the support of her then record label, Little Big Music, she performed for a season as part of the Fringe festival In Edinburgh at the Famous Spiegel Tent followed by performances in Paris, London and New York.

In the same year her song Show Me the Way to Your Heart was used in Jane Champions feature film, In the Cut.

With the support of the Australia Council for the Arts she has been able to return to Europe in 2004 taking with here with her trio which included Australian guitarist James Muller and drummer Simon Barker. They performed in Paris adding French pianist Pierre Christoff to form a quartet. In London they played a sell out show at the famous Pizza Express in Dean St plus a showcase in Notting Hill This was followed by 3 gigs in New York City and a private solo performance in Los Angeles.

Back in Australia, Lucinda spent some time in Australian outback breathing in the desert stars, an experience which was to become the inspiration for the title track of her most recent CD.

In 2005 Lucinda began recorded her new self produced album, Desert Stars in Sydney at BJB and Sony recording studios with musicians Simon Barker, James Muller, Matt MacMahan, Phil Slater, Alex Hewettson. All of whom are recognized as some of Australia’s most respected improvisers. Their creative talents and musicality helped to bring Lucinda’s songs to life creating a truly unique and original album.

This was followed by her Desert Stars Australian Tour 2005-06 with the financial support of a touring grant from the Australian Music Touring Program.

She and her band toured to regional areas and capital cities in Queensland, NSW, VIC, South Australia and the Northern Territory which included performances at the Darwin Entertainment centre and a live recording at the Basement in Sydney.

2007 was off to a good start with a sell out show at the Darwin Entertainment centre with Simon Barker, Matt MacMahan and Phil Slater. Then a feature spot at the Camden Haven Music Festival.

She continues to tour in Australia and currently lives in Sydney.