New Music Releases: Eliana Pittman; Zelia Duncan, Ana Costa, & Others; Lulu Fall

Eliana Pittman - Hoje, Ontem E Sempre

Brazilian singer Eliana Pittman's been giving great records for decades – and somehow, she still sounds completely fantastic – maybe even more expressive given the passage of time on her voice, which hasn't lost any of its power or sense of soul! As proof of that, the package balances a full new album with a full album's worth of bonus material recorded live in 1970 – sounds that span decades, but which still have the vocal charms of Pittman sounding completely amazing all the way through! Instrumentation on the new studio tracks is mostly lean, with a fair bit of acoustic guitar – on titles that include "Ex Amor", "Gamei", "O Morro Nao Tem Vez", "Tributo A Vaidade", and "Ate A Lua". The live set has relatively spare instrumentation too – but maybe a bit more muted, given the live recording – and titles include "O Pato", "Desafinado", "Big Spender", "Felicidade/Deixa Issao Pra La", and a nice take on "Ponteio". ~ Dusty Groove

Zelia Duncan, Ana Costa, & Others - Eu Sou Mulher Eu Sou Feliz

A spirited testament to the power of woman – put together by Brazilian singer and songwriters Ana Costa and Zelia Duncan – and done with help from a huge amount of guests who include Leila Pinheiro, Maira Freitas, Simone, Daniele Mercury, Alcione, Aurea Martins, Elbas Ramalho, Mart'Nalia, and many others! The mix of talents is pretty wide, and the combination of voices throughout the project certainly echoes that spirit too – ambitious, but never overdone – and handled by the leading duo with this care that somehow manages to make all the many parts come together, then sound a lot greater as a whole! ~ Dusty Groove

Lulu Fall - Between Two Worlds

Lulu Fall has a vocal style that's both urgent and effortlessly flowing – modes that are both underscored nicely by the jazzy instrumentation on the set – music by a core combo that really fits the spirit of the singer's energy, and does a great job of shifting to match her spirit throughout! The tunes often have a way of starting in one direction, then moving in another – and Lulu's clearly out to leave her own mark in contemporary soul, but all without ever pushing things too much or leaning into any simple stylistic gimmicks. Instead, the record's got a vibe that's very individual, and maybe a bit hard to describe – but well worth checking out. Titles include "Now", "She", "Runaway", "Where Are We Going", "Between Two Worlds", "Keep Your Head Up", and "Powerful". ~ Dusty Groove