May 1998

Jon Lucien
Endless Is Love
Shanachie

By Patricia Myers

Jon Lucien's satiny voice singing "The Look of Love" on the opening track of his first album in four years brought to mind the Johnny Hartman-John Coltrane '60s issue, so velvety rapturous is the sound and the mood.

The Caribbean-born Lucien's graceful, brandy-rich baritone exudes a peaceful aura, his serenely passionate nature most evident on originals like "Rashida," "My Special Friend," "Bolero," "Moon Child" and "Frances." But he also imbues covers of Bacharach's "The Look of Love" and Christopher Cross' "Sailing" with sensitivity. Lucien sings, plays keyboards, bass, guitar and percussion on this issue, dedicated to his 17-year-old daughter, Dalila, and others who died on TWA Flight 800.