The Australian - 2006
Lucinda - Rhythms Magazine - July 2001
The Australian - 2001
Blow Drum.Jazz With Craig N Pearce - LUCINDA - The Drum Media 28-8-01
opening her heart - LUCINDA PETERS interview by CRAIG N. PEARCE - The Drum Media 28-8-01

The Australian
18th March 2006
Desert Stars
John Mc Beath

This second CD from Sydney-based singer-songwriter Lucinda Peters contains more mature originals than its predecessor, Show Me The Way To Your Heart, and includes a couple of standards, Dindi and Here’s That Rainy Day. Again she has attracted top-flight musicians (playing classical guitar and acoustic bass herself), including a tasteful string quartet and James Muller (guitar), Phil Slater (trumpet) and Matt McMahon (keyboards). The instrumentation varies across her songs, which have an uninsistent romantic feel, turning moody and ethereal on the two desert related tracks of the title, or even hinting at Middle Eastern modalities (Thought About you). The album is firmly jazz referenced in a contemporary way, one piece using her multi-tracked voice as backing for scat choruses. Peter’s voice is softly expressive and beautifully controlled, drifting into a celestial sphere to display her pitch-perfect, yet relaxed and delicate upper range.

Rhythms Magazine - July 2001
LUCINDA
Show Me The Way To Your Heart
Sonart

Perusing the song list on Lucinda Peters'Debut album, this reviewer's eye was drawn to track 8. There among the classic evergreens - Skylark, Nature Boy, Moon River, How Deep Is The Ocean, Come Rain Or Shine- is one assuredly destined to become a standard of its own right…Sydney jazz supreme Bernie Mc Gann's Spirit Song.
It is a measure of this young vocalists talent and judgement- not to mention her confidence- that she not only introduced Goethe's words to McGann's music, and sang them herself, but she also sucured the great alto saxophonist to play on the track.
Lucinda's good taste is underlined by the choice of other guests, like album co-producer Don Burrows, whose flute lines in unison with her own soaring vocals on Interlude a song written by 'The Don' himself), and young guitar wiz James Muller , whose solo illuminates Subramati.
The Stella cast of Sydney jazzos also includes players of the calibre of pianist Kevin Hunt, drummer Simon Barker and double bass man Cameron Undy. Ms Peters is no mean player herself as she shows on the vocal- upright bass duets, Wings and Nature Boy. The Birds Sweet Calling, one of her own sweet compositions, features her on double bass with marimba and vibraphone- an inspired combination.
Show Me The Way To Your Heart is bookend by a short, original multitracked piece, which shows off Lucinda's lovely voice. This angelic singer immediately wings her way into the listener's heart.
Tony Hillier

The Australian - 2001
Show Me The Way To Your Heart
Lucinda Peters
Lucinda Peters Music

THIS is a gently assured debut from Lucinda Peters, a Sydney-based singer who also plays double bass. She has assembled a great cast of musicians, including pianist Kevin Hunt, guitarist James Muller, percussionist Darryll Prat, drummer Nicholas Mc Bride and Don Burrows on flute and clarinet.
Peters main achievement here is her is her laid back yet alert approach. It's a well-produced recording, with ample space for her breezy vocals that suggest rather than punctuate. She shines on The Birds Sweet Calling over a Reich-like ostinato by Pratt on vibraphone and marimba. McBride has penned a few nice tunes and injects a lo0ose groove into Subramati during Mullers solo. The only aberrations are the standards, which are unnecessary rather than poorly realized (and the second syllable of Skylark rarely sounds good as a long note). Otherwise it's a strong and intimate recording, one to be put on at the beach house, with the doors wide open, gazing out towards the sea.
Ashleigh Wilson

The Drum Media 28-8-01
Blow Drum.Jazz With Craig N Pearce
LUCINDA
Show Me The Way To Your Heart
Self Released
There is so much to enthuse over on this album. While is would be an exaggeration to say that Lucinda Peters has emerged from obscurity to present one of the finest musical documents of this or any year, the woman is definitely not well known, even within the musical fraternity-jazz- that provides the closest contextual setting in which to describe her music. And that's far from being a satisfactory context.
Like Bjork, Lucinda seems to be creating an oeuvre of her own.
Yes there are reference points, but they are clouds racing past. At the centre of Lucinda's musical prose is her airy sublime voice. Musical accompaniment, while as explorative and seductive as the voice itself, seems like an extension of the vocals. Original tunes by Lucinda are kept company by
Covers of Bernie McGann, Hoagy Carmichael and Nick McBride songs. In general the album has a gently orchestral sweep, but listen to the artist on bass and voice wend her supple way through a sexy, funky romp on Wings. You must hear this album!

The Drum Media 28-8-01
THE INEFFABLE, LUXURIOUS MAGIC EMANATING FROM THE MUSIC OF LUCINDA PETERS HAS DOUBTLESS BEEN REVEALED TO PEOPLE IN MANYFOLD WAYS. FOR ME THE REALIZATION THAT THERE WAS A TALENT POSSESSING PROFOUND ORIGINALITY AND AN EXTREMELY WELL DEVELOPED ABILITY TO ARTICULATE THAT TALENT IN OUR MIDSTS CAME ON HEARING HER RECENTLY RELEASED ALBUM, SHOW ME THE WAY TO YOUR HEART IT IS AN ALBUM THAT SEEMINGLY FLOATS FREE OF THE WEIGHT OF CULTURAL GENEOLOGY PRECEDING IT.

opening her heart
LUCINDA PETERS interview by CRAIG N. PEARCE
Heart is an album, for me, not so much about finding the road to ones heart but exploring its terrain once encounted. Whilst it's reasonable to say it is a piece of work predicated on Jazz, Heart infact wonders so far beyond what many might consider to be the strictures of the genre that it seems less like jazz than like a wholly original conception. In fact, after repeated listening I still think it's reasonable to assert it is to jazz as Bjork is to pop, or perhaps what The Birthday Party were to rock- we are talking about an upheaval, an explosion even, but most definitely the appearance of music that whilst connected to contemporary realities is in fact a stunning cultural eye- opener.
The gentle sence of 'openness' or possibly even naivety that enriches the gentle tidal flow of Lucinda's music is quite possibly the result of the enriching musical environment in which she was raised.
"My mother played baroque recorders, shawms and crumhorns", Lucinda says.
'They have an amazing sound that I would love to incorporate into a piece. I was exposed to a lot of music but it was still the environment of my family, which of course has cultural and social limits.
"I have never been afraid of going exploring but now that I am beginning to take my career seriously the possibilities are enormous, especially when you consider the technological interface that we are confronted with. I guess my environment gave me a lot but there is so much to absorb. I'd say perhaps my conditioning gave me the ears, so to speak, with which to do this"
Lucinda initially adopted classical guitar and was given a thorough musical grounding through the instrument. She has since moved on to bass, however, and it is the surprising combination of vocals and bass playing which, other than her compositional vision defined her.
"The deep sound on the bass is sensual, though I didn't consider the instruments sex appeal when I started." Lucinda laughs. " I picked up the bass just to accompany myself singing and I guess my playing has continued to evolve. I learnt classical repertoire on the guitar and now I am trying to understand the way jazz harmony works.
"I always had a natural love for singing but it didn't become a passion until later. My love of the voice is irrespective of genre. The voice really connects me to who I am and the discovery of that for me has been a joy. There is still a way to go!"
The musical field of folk, pop and ambience are present in Heart as well, yet it is jazz musicians who in the main interpret her songs. Perhaps due to their openness and ability to respond to different musical and compositional stimuli they are the ones best placed to do so. Don Burrows has taken Lucinda under his wing as well, offering her guidance and support.
'I think I relate to the musicians themselves as well as the fact that allows freedom that is kind of ageless," she explains. ' I would not call my songs jazz songs; they are just my own songs.
The experience of studying and learning about the jazz tradition is something I am finding extremely nourishing. With songs such as River of Remembrance I am trying to create something that is textural and that creates a space.
Something I need to do with specific players."
Economic realities, of course, impinge on, musician's lives and Lucinda is no different. This and the fact that she genuinely enjoys playing solo- double bass and voice- means that depending on the gig you will get entirely different interpretations of her sound. Regardless of this, you will still hear the rainforest coolness of her music and still have your perceptions refreshed by her luminous musical vision. " I am definitely in the process of development, ' she summarises. ' And I hope that the music I produce in the near future will be richer as a result. I am exited about the future but I have no idea what it is going to be."