"It doesn’t matter what Olivarez sings, whether it's Tom Waits or Antonio Carlos Jobim, you can relax because she knows what it takes to convey every nuance of that song. And, blissfully if she does Jobim, she is going to do it in both English and Portuguese. She accompanies herself on keys effortlessly, which is no small feat for a vocalist. When you think of how television has made a travesty out of the art of singing, it’s nice to be reminded exactly what it’s all about." - Michele Brangwen, ArtsHouston Magazine, July '07
"Julia Olivarez's powerful barrelhouse piano style is a treat in and of itself, but when combined with her vocal charms it's a double treat." - JazzHouston
"(Tom Waits's) voice, so rough and weatherbeaten, becomes softer and sexier in Olivarez's throat, with her own lilting inflection that ends each growly phrase . . . the combination of that weird January night where all of Houston was holding its breath and Julia Olivarez's preaching turned me into a believer." - Sara Cress, The Houston Chronicle/Handstamp