Eliane Elias CDs & Links

Dreamer (2004)

Brazilian Jazz Pianist And Vocalist

Brazilian Jazz

Eliane Elias CDs, A - Z

The Best Of Eliane Elias
(1995)

The Best Of Eliane Elias,
Vol. 1: The Originals
(2001)
 

Brazilian Classics
(2003)
 

Dreamer
(2004)

On Dreamer, São Paulo-born, Manhattan-based pianist Eliane Elias performs bossa novas and brush-stroked ballads by North and South American composers from Johnny Mercer to Antonio Carlos Jobim. This project is a sort of musical homecoming for Elias, who once worked with bossa nova pioneer Vinícius De Moraes. Elias's pretty pianisms complement her breathy contralto, especially on the '60s hit "Call Me," "Photograph (Fotografia)," and "So Nice (Samba de Verão)." Elias's two compositions, "Movin' Me On" and "Time Alone," can be considered smooth-jazz-friendly, but the Bahia bounce of "Doralice" -- where Elias quotes Stan Getz's well-known tenor solo -- and her instrumental rendering of Burt Bacharach's "A House Is Not a Home" are highlights of this masterpiece of soft syncopation. Rob Mathes's elegant, Claus Ogerman-style string arrangements enhance the mood.
--Eugene Holley, Jr.
 

Eliane Elias Plays Jobim
(1990)

The Brazilian pianist Eliane Elias is an ideal interpreter for the music of her compatriot Antonio Carlos Jobim. She's attuned to both its melodic and rhythmic nuances, and she's a potent improviser, able to develop Jobim's often graceful melodies and put her own stamp on them. Despite her Brazilian roots, Elias's approach is often more jazz oriented than bossa nova, and she provides a fuller portrait of Jobim than is usual. The songs stretch from the '50s to the '80s, and she thoroughly recasts some of the best-known tunes from the bossa nova period, like "Desafinado." Bassist Eddie Gomez, who first encouraged Elias's move to the U.S., is a full partner in the music, an aggressive and virtuosic presence providing constant stimulation with fleet counter lines, while drummer Jack DeJohnette and percussionist Nana Vasconcelos combine to create a flowing, percussive backdrop. Elias's singing on "Don't Ever Go Away" looks ahead to her later vocal approach on the CD Sings Jobim. --Stuart Broomer
 

Eliane Elias Sings Jobim
(1998)

Everything I Love
(2000)

Impulsive!
(2001)

Kissed By Nature
(2002)

The Three Americas
(1997)

Timeless Eliane Elias
(2003)

Eliane Elias Links
Eliane Elias Interview (by Bruce Gilman)

Eliane Elias Offical Web Site