Eliane Elias Love Stories

Eliane Elias
Love Stories
Concord Jazz

"Love Stories" is the latest recording from the multi-faceted Elias. An orchestral album, it reveals her talents as a vocalist, pianist, arranger, composer, lyricist, and producer on this album of bossas, whether rendering personal versions of bossa classics, reimagining other songs into bossa songs and a few select originals. Describing this album, she states, "The idea for this album was to bring to life various stories of love and loving through this collection of songs." This album was recorded in Brazil with some of her favorite Brazilian musicians including Marcus Texiera on guitar, and Edu Rebeiro, Rafael Barata, and Celso Almeida on drums. Marc Johnson is co-producer and plays bass, and Rob Mathes is the orchestrator of the lush string arrangements presented that intertwine with Elias' small group arrangements.

The material is wonderful starting with Frances Lai's theme from the French movie "A Man and a Woman," that sets the pattern with Elias' soft, soothing, velvety vocal (almost whispered) with the light swaying backing enhancing the effect. Soft trumpet opens an enchanting interpretation of the Patti Austen and James Ingram classic "Baby Come To Me." Then there is a dreamy interpretation of Jobim's "Bonita," which Jobim collaborated with Frank Sinatra. Two songs associated with Sinatra follow. There is a sensual rendition of "Angel Eyes" followed by an inspired interpretation of "Come Fly With Me," with its gentle sensuality contrasting with how Sinatra belted it out decades ago.


"The Simplest Things" is a beautiful original about how the simplest things in a shared life are often the things the matter the most. Her piano, her as elsewhere, is superb in the same restrained manner as her vocals. Robert Menescal plays guitar on his breezy "Little Boat." This song opens with Elias singing the first verse in Portuguese, the only performance where she does not sing exclusively in English. Elias is also exceptionally superb on her piano solo here. The other two songs, both Elias originals, are equally appealing. There is plenty of romance, and more as Elias charms us with these captivating "Love Stories."

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the September-October 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 386). Here is "Baby Come To Me," from the CD.

Eliane Elias Music from Man of La Mancha

Eliane Elias
Music from Man of La Mancha
Concord Records

This new release from Elias was a 1995 recording resulted from the request of Mitch Leigh, composer of the Music for the legendary musical, who loved her album playing the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and wanted her to similarly arrange and produce a recording of the musical's music. This led to the present recording, originally produced for Leigh's private enjoyment and now with the cooperation of his family finally made available to the public on Concord.

There are two sessions represented. One with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette and the other with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Satoshi Takeishi with percussionist Manolo Badrena on all but one of the nine songs heard. Many will be more familiar with Elias as a singer, but starting with the opening "To Each His Dulcinea," she displays a crisp, fluid and imaginative attack with the adept accompaniment provided. There is the reflectiveness of "Dulcinea" with some superb playing by Gomez and DeJohnette's use of brushes and the lively swing of "What Does He Want of Me," with her romanticism matched by the light, complementary backing. Elias' touch is more emphatic on "I'm Only Thinking of Him," while DeJohnette opens "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)," with a crisp rhythmic figure, echoed by Gomez before Elias enters ruminatively. With Johnson and Takeishi, she provides a Brazilian flavor for a memorable, driving interpretation of the musical's most famous song, "The Impossible Dream."

Concord is to be thanked for helping arrange for the release of this superb piano jazz recording that allows us to appreciate a side of Eliane Elias talent that gets overshadowed by her fine vocal jazz recordings.

I received my review copy from Concord Records. I have made minor changes from my review that originally appeared in the May-June 2018 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 378).  Here is an interview with Eliane Elias talking about the history of this recording.