The Official Site of Eliane Elias

Posted May 14, 2013 by jayperetz & filed under Album.

For Brazilian born pianist and composer, Eliane Elias, the bristling tableau of songs that make up her 18th album, Around The City, crackle with the vitality of an urban nightscape. But it’s the mortar between the virtuosic gems crafted by Eliane, this time around, that sets Around The City apart from any of her other acclaimed efforts.

Staking out fertile co-writing sessions (for the first time in her career) with album co-producer, Lester Mendez, and songwriter Lauren Christy, as well as creative collaborations with the disc’s other co-producer, Andres Levin, Eliane focused on what she calls: “A vocal structure where the voice becomes almost a character itself.” She also imbues the 13 song disc with a sense of in-the-moment dynamics and fearless playfulness that rivals even the best contemporary rock sonnets. Once again the noted jazz sensation dazzles with her mesmerizing pianism and brave and delectable helpings of material, offering up exotic covers, including the Tito Puente penned-Santana hit “Oye Como Va”, an inspired version of Bob Marley’s “Jammin’”, and even a swirling Beck selection, “Tropicalia,” (culled from his 1998 album Mutations), which ironically, was a homage to the Brazilian Tropicalia psychedelic/soul fusion movement of the mid-1960’s (powered by the likes of Sao Paulo musical anarchists Os Mutantes, and Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa and Gilberto Gil, among others), the latter of whom influenced Eliane’s early years.

It’s these kind of full-circle thematic leaps that Eliane traverses with such ease on Around The City, each song an entry-point into this ‘dual’ jazz citizen’s (as one reviewer dubbed her) musical template, with Eliane effortlessly gliding from song to song in both Portuguese and English. “I wanted the album to come alive – to be almost visual,” she says, the combustible title track proof-of-point, with its snapshot-narrative of city life from the perspective of a lonely ingÈnue. The album also represents the birth of a formidable slice-of-life songwriting style unleashed by Eliane. “A city can be lonely in places, while at the same time in another part of town, it’s exploding with energy. A good album with the right collection of songs can capture simultaneous emotions, as well. We are all definitely a product of the world around us and a city reflects that awareness better than anything. The different moods, the different struggles and challenges. I have always tried to take my upbringing, my background, and put it in my music. On this album I was more conscious than ever of carrying on with that attitude in every song.”

Literally evidenced on the disc’s opener, “Running,” a rousing self-declaration, with Eliane toasting those elastic Brazilian roots of hers with lines such as: Into the darkness/Not scared of loving/I turn my lights on/’Cause where I’m from we carry on…
“In Brazil we definitely ‘carry’ on” she laughs.

“The genesis of that song starts with the positive message or spirit I felt when making this record. I never begin something if I don’t feel it, and I knew before I started this project I wanted to concentrate on my writing more, where I consciously wrote involving my voice. I also knew that it was time for me to work with other writers and producers. Writing with Lester and Lauren and working closely with Andres Levin felt like a natural progression . They were all fans of my earlier work and intuitively knew the direction I wanted to go. I didn’t want to go out and make a Dreamer 2.”

A reference to her most recent release, 2004’s Dreamer, which scored both critical raves and some important career ‘firsts.’ “It was the first album where I concentrated on vocals and sang mostly in English,” says Eliane. It was also the first album where she was backed by a full orchestra. The songs on Dreamer were mostly covers, featuring several American songwriting standards, such as “Call Me” and “That’s All,” placed in a bossa nova setting. The well-received disc also featured two Eliane originals, and showcased – according to the artist – ‘the pianist accompanying the singer.’

“Dreamer enabled me to go all over the world singing those standards, with audiences growing increasingly enthusiastic with my voice. I knew I wanted my next project to be something where I could really personalize that imprint – through more writing and singing – challenging myself, but with a sense of adventure and abandon.”

Eliane also hooked up with lively producer Andres Levin, Latin-funk master known as the brainchild behind the Afro/Latin/Hip hop fusion of Yerba Buena (2005’s Island Life). It was as if Levin helped Eliane channel some of those funkier tropical side-streets herself on songs such as “Jammin’,” which features two live drummers and a looped chorus (the disc also boast Eliane’s first all-out use of electronic loops), the low-ride flavor of “Slide Show,” and the Santana classic “Oye Como Va,” where, Eliane says: “We mix bossa nova with a deep latin groove which is something I always wanted to do.”

Harboring such eclectic passions has always been a trademark of Eliane’s compositional DNA. “From my earliest musical memories I had a passion for doing something in a different, new way. These ideas were just swimming around in my head. You have to remember I never aspired to be a singer. The challenge was always the music.It was the piano for me. And composing. I was always writing and I was such a lover of improvised music, Brazilian rhythm and American jazz, how could I not dream of ways to one day integrate all these wonderful sounds into my own creations.”

Such a journey began even before Eliane was a teenager. Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, she learned the piano at age 7, and was already transcribing heaping solo portions of her parents’ jazz records by the age of 12.

After studying for 6 years (and teaching by age 15) at Brazil’s prestigious Free Center of Music Apprenticeship, where she learned to hone her incredible improvisational skills, she continued her classical education with Amilton Godoy and Amaral Vieria. She was also the protÈgÈ of Vinicius de Moraes, lyricist and songwriting partner of Antonio Carlos Jobim, a huge influence on Eliane’s work, and master of the Brazilian Bossa Nova movement that indelibly influenced many American songwriters. By age 17, she was touring with the best Bossa Nova composers and interpreters the world had to offer, composing her own pieces and performing at jazz clubs regularly. It was during this period she was befriended by jazz bassist Eddie Gomez and encouraged to come to New York City where she could showcase her incredible talent to the world.

Eliane moved to New York in 1981, and studied privately with Olegna Fuschi at the Julliard School of Music, eventually joining jazz ‘supergroup’ Steps Ahead (whose members included Gomez, Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine and Mike Mainieri).

Signed to legendary Blue Note Records in 1986, after releasing her debut album Amanda (named after her daughter), Eliane would ultimately become the label’s most prolific and enduring artist, delivering 15 albums, mostly instrumental – a great deal of them topping Billboard’s Jazz charts, including 1995’s Grammy nominated Solos And Duets, featuring Herbie Hancock, and 1998’s vocal turning-point, Eliane Elias Sings Jobim her first full-length foray into the vocal arena (and a follow-up to her earlier ode to the master, Eliane Elias Plays Jobim).

Eliane signed with RCA/Bluebird Jazz in 2002, releasing the sultry Kissed By Nature. 2004’s Dreamer was her second album for the new label, and a wake-up call to fans that Eliane’s vocal adventures were just beginning. “Once I began singing more, fans would actually come up to me afterwards and ask me to please sing more in future shows. I also began to realize there was a technical side to it as fascinating as the piano. What I loved about working on Around The City is that there are songs where I stretch my abilities with both playing and singing.”

A perfect example is the buoyant “Chiclete” an old Brazilian favorite given a fresh coat of paint by Eliane. The song, a Jackson do Pandeiro classic, is a playful romp that translates as ‘Chiclete Com Banana – ‘Chewing gum with Bananas,’ featuring a vexing mouthful of a verse that goes something like this: ‘I only put bebop in my samba when Uncle Sam plays the tamborim. When he learns that samba is not rumba then I will mix Miami with Copacabana.’ As one would guess, isn’t easy to do and even harder to sing. “That is an exciting song that has great elasticity to it,” says Eliane. “I purposely chose it because it was such a vocal challenge, but at the same time such a fun song to sing.”

But Eliane’s attention to the vocal demands of Around The City in no way diminishes her lifelong discipline of expert musicianship. Blessed with a peerless playing style, the prospect of her fingers gracing those keys still lures fans from all across the globe. As with all of her works, Around The City also finds her backed by a stable of the world’s greatest musicians (and several longtime collaborators) including Randy Brecker, Marc Johnson, Oscar-Castro Neves, Paulo Braga, Paulinho da Costa and many more, with Eliane offering up riveting new testaments to the musical muse that has moved her all these years, particularly on the ethereal “Segredos,” (Parts 1 and 2).” Two of the silkier tracks on the album, the title translates as “Secrets,” with the song split in two by the craft-conscious Eliane for surprisingly practical reasons. “The song was too long so we decided to divide it and make an end piece, and it worked perfectly,” she says. But don’t be too fooled by the cut-and-dry reasoning. The album’s delicious coda almost seems to sigh under the magical breeze of her wistful piano. ‘Don’t give it all away…’ she murmurs at the end of the CD. Around The City – and back again – with the irresistible promise of much, much more from this great talent yet to come.

Press Acclaim

Billboard Spotlight Review

Eliane Elias – Around The City
Producers: Eliane Elias, Andres Levin, Lester Mendez
RCA Victor
Release date: Aug 22

On “Around The City”, pianist Elias assigns the keys a back seat in support of her alluring, sensuous vocals sung in English and Portuguese. The Brazil-born, New York-based Elias has played the singer card before in her 18-album career, but nothing like this outing, where she delivers a spellbinding meld of pop, Brazillian and Latin music with a jazz sensibility. Her pianistic excursions arrive sporadically and deeper into the 13-song collection, including a fine run in “A Vizinha Do Lado”. But upfront is where “Around The City” enraptures, beginning with the spirited original “Running”, and continuing with a bossa-steeped take on Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va” and later a sultry swing through Beck’s “Tropicalia”. Standout track: Elias’ jazzy spin on Bob Marley’s “Jammin’” with loops, trumpet ornamentation and a piano sprint, all girded to earth with speedy grooves by two drummers.

Eliane Elias is to jazz what Sade and Basia are to pop – a gifted vocal ballerina who glides across notes with whisper light her voice seemingly floating on a puffy cloud of comfortable lyricism almost as if she is sailing on a breeze.

Around The City Eliane Elias

by Duane Wells, 365Gay.com

On “Around The City”, pianist Elias assigns the keys a back seat in support of her alluring, sensuous vocals sung in English and Portuguese. The Brazil-born, New York-based Elias has played the singer card before in her 18-album career, but nothing like this outing, where she delivers a spellbinding meld of pop, Brazillian and Latin music with a jazz sensibility.

Billboard Spotlight Review August 14, 2006

…”If you love Julia Fordham, and who doesn’t, Sade and you have a real appreciation for jazz, this 13 track release has something for you to enjoy and savor over a glass of wine”.

Outlook Magazine Arizona August 11, 2006

AROUND THE CITY

The Brazilian bossa nova beauty’s 18^th album is an essential summer chill-out CD, gorgeously blending smooth instrumentals and Elias’ subtle, mesmerizing voice. (Around the City)
NEXT MAGAZINE Review Spin Control by Gregory T. Angelo

Eliane Elias

by Duane Wells, 365Gay.com

(Los Angeles, California) Brazilian born pianist and composer, Eliane Elias, may have been one of music’s best kept secrets for years, but she certainly seems to have no plans to allow that situation to endure.

In 2004, the prolific jazz artist, released the critically acclaimed album Dreamer, a lush 11-track collection of songs from the American songbook, which demonstrated that the Grammy-nominated, virtuoso pianist was also quite a singer as well. And now Elias is back with an elegantly eclectic new collection of songs entitled Around The City that continues to showcase her prowess as both a singer and a musician.

Disarmingly sultry and playfully seductive, Elias’ Around The City is one of those rare transcendent jazz albums that refuses to be categorized or placed in a box of any kind. You don’t have to like jazz or the sounds of Brazil to fall in love with Around The City. In fact all you need to be enchanted by Eliane Elias and her new album Around The City is a pulse and satisfactory hearing.
With a voice bearing a huskiness reminiscent of Astrid Gilberto and a breezy style that puts me in the mind of Michael Franks with a little more South American flavor, Eliane Elias is to jazz what Sade and Basia are to pop – a gifted vocal ballerina who glides across notes with whisper light easeвЂ¦her voice seemingly floating on a puffy cloud of comfortable lyricsвЂ¦almost as if she is sailing on a breeze.

Around The City opens with an uplifting bossa nova flavored track entitled “Running” that will likely land a coveted place in rotation at Smooth Jazz radio. I’ve never been to Brazil, but the slick, sexiness of this track captures everything that I imagine it to be. A jazzy cover of Tito Puente-penned Santana hit “Oye Como Va” that practically makes you sway from the opening bars follows the opening track and keeps the pace of the album in high gear, but the real highlight of Around The City comes on track 4 when Elias delivers a truly inspired and rousing version of Bob Marley’s “Jammin’” that along the way turns into a religious experience.

Graceful ballads like “Segredos (secrets)”, “Another Day” and “Save Your Love For Me” along with a cover of Beck’s в”Tropicalia” homage to the Brazilian Tropicalia psychedelic/soul fusion movement of the mid – 1960′s complete this jazz collection which should be a shoo-in for a Grammy nomination.

Fans of lounge music, elegant jazz and Brazilian rhythms have got reason to celebrate thanks to the release of Eliane Elias’ Around The City on August 22nd. I can almost see them doing the samba now! ©365Gay.com 2006

Outlook Magazine Arizona
August 11, 2006

AROUND THE CITY Sophisticated Jazz From Brazil

The image of the “Girl From Ipanema” still lingers. Song stylist Sade took the exoticism to another level creating a sophisticated calm, ever so cool, update on that standard image. Operating within the same musical background, Brazilian Eliane Elias comes up with a smooth retro release that contains that same cool jazz, with some pop touches.

By: Kurt von Behrmann

While I am not exactly “bowled over” by the publicity lines “Brazilians do it better,” for Elias’ latest release, the music is the key. I won’t hold “cheese PR lines” against her. Her release merits more respect than that. For this outing, she has come through with a consistent set of numbers on “Around The City.”

The title cut, obviously titled “Around The City,” merges bits of Bossa Nova with shades of pop, jazz and rock and roll that would not be totally out of place on Steele Dan release.

Bossa Nova, created by JoÃ£o Gilberto and first introduced in Brazil by Gilberto’s recording of “Chega de Saudade”, in 1958, Elias, who hails from Brazil and includes one track, “Oye Como Va,” a track she covered Tito Puente in Portuguese, takes advantage of her connection to Brazil’s unique take on jazz. Not confining herself to one location, she covers Bob Marley’s “Jammin.” In her take she turns the track into something so far removed from the original it is nearly unrecognizable.

A member of the jazz ensemble Steps Ahead, Elias ventured tentatively into solo recordings in the 80s, while maintaining her solid commitment to jazz all the while never failing to bridge her adventurous tendencies with Brazilian musical traditions. Even with the pop touches of “Around The City,” the singer songwriter pianist maintains strong ties to her musical roots.

On recent albums she’s been redefining herself, shifting from a role as a strictly instrumental musician to building a rep as a vocalist. Able to sing in both English and Portuguese, Elias has a calm style that she never pushes. In contrast to a lot of song stylist, I have to give her credit for doing it without resorting to “over-doing it.” Able to sing in a straight forward manner, she is not out to overwhelm or impress, she is out to sing the songs pure and simple. That direct approach works well. Plus, she has the vocal chops and musical ability to do it without tripping over herself.

Segredos (Secrets) is a low key polished number that successfully blends the best of 70s Southern California singer songwriter melodic stylings with jazz flourishes. It is one of the most successful hybrids in that arena that has rolled out in a while.

“We’re So Good,” brings sounds much more pop, even easy listening than the other numbers. Not that this is a insult, it is a compliment that she can pull it off without making it sound slight.

As laid back easy smooth releases go, Elias has made only a few concessions to pop while keeping herself firmly planed in jazz. Making the difficult choice to retain Brazilian musical traditions and at the same time making a bid for a more mainstream approach, Elias has come out ahead.

If you love Julia Fordham, and who doesn’t, Sade and you have a real appreciation for jazz, this 13 track release has something for you to enjoy and savor over a glass of wine.

If you think this is just background music, it really isn’t, and it does merit a repeated listen to two to get the idea. Well worth checking out .

NEXT MAGAZINE Review

Spin Control
by Gregory T. Angelo

Why don’t we take it down a few notches for a change? Lord knows it’s too hot outside to be listening to some 160 bpm monstrosity—there’ll be time enough for that later. For now, why not throw something cooler onto your home stereo? Something like Eliane Elias’ new disc Around the City? The Brazilian bossa nova beauty’s 18th album is an essential summer chill-out CD, gorgeously blending smooth instrumentals and Elias’ subtle, mesmerizing voice. The 13-track RCA Victor release begins with the bubbly “Running,” percolates into a downplayed cover of “Oye Como Va,” hits a furtive peak on the jubilant “Jammin”‘ and floats to a downy finale on the feathery “Another Day.”

Posted May 13, 2013 by jayperetz & filed under Album.

There’s no question about it: pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias is amazingly versatile. On May 28, 2013, Concord Jazz presents Elias’ I Thought About You (A Tribute To Chet Baker), an album that offers her personalized spin on the work of a key American jazz artist while spotlighting her connection to the singer-instrumentalist tradition. It fully demonstrates the range of interests that Elias’ art now boasts, and arrives with a statement of purpose: jazz repertoire can sound totally fresh when delivered with ingenuity and passion.

Long known for her native feel of Brazilian music, this new disc truly demonstrates Elias’ expertise in yet another realm: an interpreter of American standards. An expressive, swinging singer and insightful instrumentalist and arranger, on I Thought About You she thoughtfully switches the size and approach of her impressive ensemble from track to track, yielding to each tune’s inner logic.

Her choice of musicians underscores her decision to have her music move in various ways. Along with guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, drummer Rafael Barata and percussionist Marivaldo dos Santos unite with Elias and husband, esteemed bassist Marc Johnson, for a few of the Brazil-slanted tracks. The other core band members are the always impressive guitarist Steve Cardenas and the exquisite drummer Victor Lewis. If you hear a deep chemistry between the bass and drums, remind yourself that Johnson and Lewis were once part of Stan Getz’s most limber rhythm section. At various points, Elias’ former husband Randy Brecker drops in to add some of his incisive brass magic to the mix.

By and large, Elias has turned to pieces from the Great American Songbook that have been associated with Baker. Some are swaggering and bluesy, some are poignant and graceful, some are intimate and bittersweet – each is addressed like the jewel that it is.

“When selecting the repertoire, I chose songs that portrayed a wide spectrum of Chet’s work,” she says, “not only the ballads for which he was best known, but also the mid tempo and up tempo pieces he performed with such fluidity and inventiveness throughout his career.”

Jazz fans know that Chesney Henry Baker, Jr, the esteemed West Coast trumpeter who made his initial mark with the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, had plenty of the ingenuity and passion mentioned above in his own work. A celebrated improviser who played with everyone from Charlie Parker to Stan Getz, Baker helped establish the lithe swing associated with the mid-’50s sound of West Coast cool. His charisma was unmistakable – he brought an unmistakable charm to any tune he addressed. With a lilt in his voice and a casual sense of rhythm, his influence made a mark on many musicians, including important Brazilian artists.

“Chet and the cool jazz movement were influential to the bossa nova artists in the 1950s,” explains Elias. “Joao Gilberto, Toquinho, Vinicius de Moraes, and Antonio Carlos Jobim are just a few who have spoken to this influence. Chet sang and played with a purity of sound, and had a way of phrasing without much affectation, floating over the bar line, an approach which is immediately recognizable in the delivery of some of the great bossa nova artists, like Joao Gilberto.”

Elias makes sure the influence of cool jazz on the bossa nova is represented on several of the 14 tracks. “There Will Never Be Another You” features an ingenious arrangement, interposing Brazilian rhythms and straight-ahead jazz feel. “Embraceable You” is intoxicating, with a bluesy bossa personality rendered eloquently by her beautiful voice and piano supported by her brilliant Brazilian rhythm section. The stylistic blend continues on “Let’s Get Lost,” where Elias’ seductive coo is just as enticing as the instrumentalists’ work. “These three songs were very natural to me to place in a Brazilian groove,” she says, “and I easily relate to romantic lyrics.”

As a singer, Elias’s emotional candor and deep sense of time are part of I Thought About You’s main attractions. The title track has a vocal style that’s just as reminiscent of prime Frank Sinatra as it is Baker. Elias’ charm, swing and charisma are right up front, and united with her incisive piano playing, they make a peerless package.

The trio rendition of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” arrives with a shadowy mood that borders on cinematic. The hush of her piano mixed with Johnson’s glowing bottom and Lewis’ whispering brushes provides an eerie backdrop for lines like “You don’t know how lips hurt/until you’ve kissed and had to pay the cost.” Elias embodies the ache like a master. Intimacy is a crucial element in several of these tunes, and she uses quiet as yet another instrument.

Her agility as a singer is set in full relief on the opening of “Blue Room,” as well. In a duet, she and Johnson sway around each other, equal parts playful and imposing. “In 2008, Marc and I were at a live interview at a radio station in Paris,” says Elias. “Our host surprised us with a recording of Chet singing ‘Blue Room’ a cappella, which has the lyric ‘and every day’s a holiday because you’re married to me.” At that point in time not many people knew we were married, and it was very touching to us. Since then, this song was always on the ‘to do’ list for this project.”

Like six other tracks on the album, “Blue Room” is presented without a drummer – another way to create an intimate feel. “There’s something about the space that not having drums provides,” explains Elias. “It can bring the listener closer into the music. Through much of his career, Chet performed in sparse, drummerless settings. There’s an interesting quote from him that speaks to this: ‘It takes a hell of drummer to be better than no drummer at all.’”

Lack of percussion doesn’t slow down the action on quicker pieces. The tempo of “Just In Time” is blistering, and the virtuosity of Elias’ piano is an adrenaline rush. “Marc drives that beat,” she continues, “and what about the Brazilian singer chewing all those words in English? Ha! This was a lot of fun.”

A nod to the superb brass player would be lacking without a horn in the mix, and the brilliant trumpeter Randy Brecker brings his horn prowess front and center on several songs. Want to talk refined lyricism? His solo on “That Old Feeling” darts around the melody with an authoritative élan. And the flugelhorn work on “Just Friends” finds a way to goose the action while still feeling quite dapper. “Randy killed,” reports Elias. “He always plays beautifully but he outdid himself this time. During the years we were together, we often heard Chet’s recordings in the house.”

This isn’t Elias’ first dive into a master’s songbook. She’s essayed the work of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Bill Evans previously. But this nod to Baker has been on her mind for a while. In 2010 when she was signed by Concord, this project was to be her first for the esteemed label. Because of the sequence of her output to that point, she opted to first record a Brazilian themed album, which became the critically and publicly acclaimed Light My Fire.

I Thought About You was well worth the wait, of course. It’s one of Elias’ most thoughtfully constructed albums, and a date that shows just how adroitly she moves around the bossa-jazz-blues nexus. She truly is an artist beyond category.

Elias closes the album with its most tender moment, “I Get Along Without You Very Well.” On the original, Baker starts the track with only a celeste behind him. Elias stuck to her piano to get the job done on her update of this heartbreaking farewell, and it’s a chilling interpretation. Her voice is mix of pride and vulnerability, and her touch on the keys make the chord changes drop into place like dusk descending.

From buoyant swing to luminous bossa nova to jaunty blues, I Thought About You achieves Elias’ initial goal: creating a well-rounded portrait of a master. “I chose each of these songs to speak about various feelings and aspects of love,” she concludes, “but I wouldn’t feel that I’d done a true tribute to Chet if I hadn’t addressed some other dimensions of his work as a singer/instrumentalist.”

Press Acclaim

“With I Thought About You, Elias acknowledges Baker and Brazilian jazz at the same time—and the results are consistently engaging.”
Jazz Inside Magazine

“Featuring a selection of standards strongly associated with Baker, Elias mixes her native Brazilian bossa nova with swing, straight-ahead jazz, and even a few bluesy flourishes with much aplomb…Elias, who has also leaned toward playing melodic, often romantic music, is a perfect conduit for reinterpreting Baker’s music.”
All Music

“There is much to like about this release, not the least of which is the fact that Elias is a singer of self-possession and focus…[Baker] left a full yet incomplete jazz legacy. Eliane Elias breathes new life into an inspired sampling of his work.”
Audiophile Audition

“All the songs heard here are about the romance of love and the humanity of our connection to life. Don’t miss Ms. Elias beautiful and sexy rendition of ‘Embraceable You.’ Listen and enjoy.”
Hill Rag (Wash, DC)

“Elaine Elias continues to give her best in her music and her desire to give her audiences this best is what keeps her creating and living inspired. Her sound is very personal, an offering of herself – an offering that continues to reach us deep within, just as she felt when she began this journey.”
iRockJazz

“While Elias came to prominence with her Brazilian flair, as an interpreter of American standards one would be hard pressed to find an artist as stylish, elegant and sophisticated as Elias. Oh yeah…being a piano virtuoso does not hurt.” *****
@CriticalJazz

“I Thought About You is an album of classic jazz standards and material. The arrangements and production on this CD are top notch, and get high marks for taste and quality of the performances. Eliane Elias sizzles on every track, and there’s no doubt that listeners will think about her and the CD long after the last track has played.”
The Entertainment Bank

“Taken separately, it’s easy to think the elements here wouldn’t work, but when put together this elegantly, the sum of the parts become grandly greater than the whole. A real left field winner that’s sure to raise eyebrows as Elias breaks new ground in a most unexpected way.”
Midwest Record

Posted May 10, 2013 by jayperetz & filed under Album.

Pianist / vocalist / composer / arranger Eliane Elias (pronounced eh-lee-AH-neh eh-LEE-ahs) has grafted various elements of jazz, pop, soul and other styles to her deep Brazilian roots to create a hybrid groove that exists comfortably on any hemisphere. Borrowing from an array of sources and singing in a variety of languages, Elias consistently forges a sound that appeals to listeners of every geographic locale and cultural persuasion.

Her new album, Light My Fire – set for a May 31, 2011, release on Concord Picante, a division of Concord Music Group – wields this universal sound to explore the various corners of the human heart – from romance and passion to the shared joy of being alive and embracing everyone into the dance of life. Along with four compositions written or co-written by Elias herself, the album also includes covers of familiar works by songwriters as diverse as Jim Morrison and the Doors, pop icon Stevie Wonder and jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond. Elias weaves it all together into a cohesive whole by injecting each of the twelve songs with distinctly Brazilian grooves that alternate effortlessly between the fiery and passionate to the cool and sophisticated.

“Some of the tunes are cool and laid back, but others are quite rhythmic and joyful,” says Elias. “And they have some different grooves. I tend to gravitate toward romance – beautiful melodies, beautiful harmonies and rhythms with a great feel. But more than anything else, I’m singing about love on this record in its different aspects and dimensions.”

Backing Elias on Light My Fire is a crew of twelve high-caliber players, including special guests guitarist/vocalist Gilberto Gil and trumpeter Randy Brecker. The rhythm section – which has accompanied Elias on several of her most recent recordings – includes guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Paulo Braga. Also on hand to sing with Elias and Gil on “Toda Menina Baiana” is Elias’ daughter, singer-songwriter Amanda Brecker. New to Elias’ team is percussionist Marivaldo dos Santos, drummer Rafael Barata, guitarists Romero Lubambo and Ross Traut, and flutist Lawrence Feldman.

“I’ve made more than 20 records in my career,” says Elias. “I’m proud of all of them, but I’m especially excited about this one,” says Elias. “It feels like it has a life and an energy all its own. With very few exceptions, nearly all of the songs were first takes. Everybody in the studio was so focused, and it was such a fun record to make. The music was really flowing, and we all felt very relaxed. From the very first day, not a note was wasted by anyone. It was an amazing experience.”

That sense of effortlessness is evident from the opening bars of “Rosa Morena,” a song whose lyrics ask: “Where are you going? Why don’t you come and join us?” One of many songs on the album sung in Portuguese, the song is essentially an invitation for everything that is to follow. “It starts with a little bit of light percussion,” says Elias, “then gradually builds, adding layers of instruments until the end. A couple songs were arranged in this way, where I varied the density of the sound within the same tune. I was mindful of treating each song with somewhat different levels of transparency, which I think has a way of inviting the listener in and holding one’s interest. Joe Ferla, my recording and mixing engineer, further enhances this intention with his beautiful 3D mixes.”

The stirring “Aquele Abraço,” written by Gilberto Gil and inspired by his political exile in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, is a song about being willing to send love out to everyone and everything despite challenging circumstances. “Gilberto was first put in jail for months, and then he was sent out of the country,” says Elias. “When he was leaving, he wrote this song, recalling Rio de Janeiro and those he left behind.”

The intriguing covers include the title track, a slow and sexy Brazilian version of the Doors’ churning 1967 rock hit; a sensual take on the classic Stevie Wonder ballad, “My Cherie Amour;” and a slinky vocalese rendition of saxophonist Paul Desmond’s jazz classic, “Take Five,” first made famous by the Dave Brubeck Quartet in 1959. “I didn’t just follow the original version note for note,” Elias says of the Desmond tune. “I created another section, a development section to replace the traditional ‘blowing chorus.’”

“Isto Aqui O Que É” reveals Elias’ beautiful voice in its most intimate setting on the album. “The song says, ‘This here is a little bit of Brazil, a Brazil that sings and is happy, and its people are not afraid, and they do not give up in the face of hardship.’ The song is a kind of anthem. The arrangement builds slowly, and the song eventually grows into a full sound. It’s so representative of what the lyrics say and what the Brazilian people are about.”

“Turn To Me (Samba Maracatú)” was co-written in 1988 by Elias and popular Brazilian composer Gonzaguinha, who passed away a few years later in 1991. In the world premiere of this song, Gilberto Gil, who was highly influenced by Gonzaguinha’s father, Luiz Gonzaga, steps in and shares the vocals as a tribute to the revered composer.

“What About the Heart (Bate Bate),” another of Elias’ original compositions, relates one person’s desire to rekindle the passion and romance in a relationship that has become routine and complacent. “‘Bate Bate’ (pronounced ‘baht-chi baht-chi’) is the sound of a quietly beating heart,” says Elias. “It asks the question, ‘What about the heart?’ In the end, it’s all about the heart.”

Says Elias, “I’m very excited about the music on this album. I think it’s cool, sexy and fun. This recording is the truest expression of what I’m doing right now, and it represents very closely what people hear me doing live in concert. I hope this music brings some romantic, joyful and heartfelt moments to those who hear it.

“Eliane Elias stands out from other Brazilian singers because she not only has a deep-rooted feel for the rhythms of her native land but also is fluent in the American jazz idiom after spending some 30 years in the United States. Light My Fire showcases her talents as a four-tool player — singer, pianist, arranger and songwriter — with a romantic collection of classic Brazilian songs, American pop and jazz standards set to Brazilian grooves, and original tunes. She’s supported by top flight Brazilian and American musicians, including her rhythm section of guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, drummer Paulo Braga and her husband, bassist Marc Johnson…a fitting soundtrack for warm summer nights.”
Associated Press

“Bright as August along the Costa del Sol and breezy as an Hawaiian lanai, the latest from Brazilian pianist-vocalist-arranger Eliane Elias is possibly the most refreshing summertime jazz album since Getz met the Gilbertos…Elias’ slow, sensual treatment of the Doors’ title track is a masterpiece of musical foreplay, her dusky reinterpretation of ‘Take Five’ and gossamer cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘My Cherie Amour’ equally enticing.”
JazzTimes

“Sultry Brazilian singer/pianist Eliane Elias wraps her jazzy bossa nova style around familiar top 40 radio chestnuts as well as some homeland favorites on her smooth new release, Light My Fire. The title seems like a fait acccompli, the way she coos her way through the title song, swings softly on Brubeck’s ‘Take Five’ and turns Stevie Wonder’s ‘My Cherie Amour’ into a sexy slow jam. And with countrymen Oscar Castro-Neves and drummer Paulo Braga laying down irresistible grooves, you’ll wonder ‘is it hot in here? Or is it just…’”
Christian Science Monitor

“Pianist/vocalist/composer/arranger Eliane Elias delves into matters of the heart on her latest release, Light My Fire (Concord Picante). Featuring a collection of self-penned scores as well as covers of familiar all time classics such as the Jim Morrison and The Doors mega hit title track, pop icon Stevie Wonder’s ‘My Cherie Amour,’ and jazz giant Paul Desmond’s ‘Take Five,’ Elias transforms these musical gems and everything she touches into passionate and joyful interpretations. Backed by a crew of such top caliber players as Gilberto Gil (guitarist/vocalist), Randy Brecker (trumpet), Oscar Castro-Neves (guitar), Marc Johnson (bass), Paulo Braga (drums), and Marivaldo dos Santos (percussion), Elias takes us on a musical voyage of the heart while touching on the romantic, sexy and passionate sides of Brazilian jazz.”
Latin Beat

“Smoldering like an ember on a rainy night…With a voice as smoky and warm as a dark Creole roux, …[Eliane] provides some of the most sensual, un-gimmicky sounds in our digital world….From familiar favorites like the Dave Brubeck theme song ‘Take Five’ and Stevie Wonder’s ‘My Cherie Amour’ to her original composition ‘Bate Bate’ (pronounced ‘Batchi-Batchi,’ what the beat of the human heart sounds like in Rio), the sambas overflow in a throwback to the surprising, infectious rhythms that started the bossa nova craze 50 years ago. But Eliane Elias is also fresh, contemporary and sexy, taking classics by João Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim in a whole new direction. There really is nobody like her, and you owe it to yourself to catch her while the mic is still hot. Buy Light My Fire—it will cool your summer.”
New York Observer

“Even after more than 20 records over the course of 30 years, Brazilian jazz singer/pianist/composer/arranger Eliane Elias’ creative and passionate fire has yet to go out…Elias plies her distinctly alluring and sultry voice into songs rendered in Portuguese and English. She turns the Doors’ “Light My Fire” into a slow, simmering bossa nova dirge, while ‘Isto Aqui O Que E’ oozes with the essence of joyful Brazilian jazz. Heated by Elias’ creative and nimble hands and voice, Light My Fire will re-ignite anyone’s love for classic Brazilian jazz and pop.”
Virginian-Pilot

“Since 1984, Elias has recorded over 20 albums and established herself as an accomplished jazz pianist and increasingly as a singer…The singing is front and center on her new album Light My Fire, which features an all-star supporting cast including Gilberto Gil, Romero Lubambo, Oscar Castro-Neves and Randy Brecker, as well as her husband and long-time collaborator, bassist Marc Johnson. The breezy and sensual album features Elias singing (and playing) originals, classic Brazilian compositions and some interesting covers, including Stevie Wonder’s ‘My Cherie Amour’ and the title song by Jim Morrison and the Doors.”
JazzTimes.com

“The Brazilian singer songwriter and pianist Eliane Elias does sultry very well. For years, she has transcended any badge that listeners might want to hang on her as she effortlessly veered between instrumental jazz and vocal pop and lately, both genres. Her glam style makes her instantly recognizable, but it’s her immensely pleasurable vocals that kiss every tune. As a pianist, Elias is plainly enviable.”
ICON

“Un disco teñido de la sapiencia que sólo los años pueden otorgar.”
AARP Espanol

“…the Brazilian pianist-singer’s bossa-samba tracks – about half the album – are special, extra-special when Gilberto Gil joins her. (He is on three tunes.) The band, with guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, is superb.”
San Jose Mercury News

“With vocals that simply drip sensuality, and a polished piano technique that has established her as one of the most talented practitioners on today’s jazz scene, Sao Paulo-born Eliane Elias is a formidable artist…Light My Fire accomplishes a delicate balance between the connected worlds of ultra-cool jazz, sexy bossa nova pieces and timeless pop anthems.”
Ejazz News

“Brazilian born Eliane Elias is no stranger to recordings, having produced over 20 albums in a wide variety of styles. In addition to her jazz pedigree as a respected keyboard player, singer, and arranger, Elias also has a classical music background and composes original music. Light My Fire contains four of her originals and several lightly swinging laid-back bossa nova tunes. What’s likely to attract the most attention are the remarkable covers of the title song and Paul Desmond’s “Take Five.” “Light My Fire” is re-imagined as a sexy samba, and whereas Jim Morrison’s original performance demands and pleads, Elias slyly cajoles and invites. “Take Five” features wordless vocals and a new development section that Elias created. Often, her vocal line is doubled by Randy Brecker’s trumpet. The recording clearly places Brecker behind Elias, and the unanimity of phrasing makes for a somewhat eerie, ghostly impression. I was hearing this sound in my head long after I’d shelved the disc. The balances on the rest of the tracks are exemplary and satisfying, with tight bass and warm upper frequencies. All in all, this is an appealing CD that would be a perfect summertime companion.”
Good Sound!

“Since the mid-1980s, pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias has grafted various elements of jazz, pop, soul and other styles to her deep Brazilian roots to create a hybrid groove. Her forthcoming album, Light My Fire — set for a May 31 release on Concord Picante, a division of Concord Music Group — wields this universal sound to explore the various corners of the human heart. Along with four compositions written or co-written by Elias herself, the album also includes covers of familiar works by Jim Morrison and the Doors (the title track), Stevie Wonder (‘My Cherie Amour’) and jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond (‘Take Five’). Elias weaves it all together into a cohesive whole by injecting each of the 12 songs with distinctly Brazilian grooves that alternate between the fiery and passionate to the cool and sophisticated.”
Jazziz.com

“Light My Fire (Concord Picante) finds the pianist and vocalist Eliane Elias filtering an array of love songs through a breezy bossa nova lens. Her partner, musically as well as romantically, is Mr. Johnson, a bassist of supple erudition.”
New York Times

“[Elias is] a nonpareil keyboardist, evidence of which can be found on her new album, Light My Fire, on which she covers the Doors (of course), Paul Desmond, Stevie Wonder and more. Stellar bassist Marc Johnson anchors the band.”
Time Out New York

“Light My Fire is not a disc for the jazz purist. But it is highly recommended for those still treasuring their old Gilberto and Sergio Mendes platters as well as newer devotees of the temperate strains of classic Brazilian pop.”
Jazz Inside Magazine

“Brazilian jazz pianist/singer Eliane Elias takes it all back home with cool-groovin’ samba classics and bossa-novasized versions of ‘My Cherie Amour,’ ‘Take Five’ and the title track on Light My Fire (Concord, A-). Support cast includes Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil, Elias’ Philly-spawned ex-hubby Randy Brecker and daughter Amanda Brecker.”
Phila. Daily News

“June has arrived. That means it’s time to find a ‘summer album’—a disc that will go into heavy rotation for road trips, beach walks and other outdoor festivities. The latest release from singer/pianist Eliane Elias, Light My Fire, fits the bill, with its intoxicating mixture of original and iconic songs flavored by the bossa nova vibe of her native Brazil.”
DownBeat.com

“The newest disc from Brazilian-American pianist and singer Eliane Elias is engaging for its romantic flavors, her virtuosic playing, and a great selection of music.”
Santa Fe New Mexican

“Brazilian pianist, vocalist and composer Eliane Elias explores Afro-Brazilian rhythms in her latest album, titled Light My Fire. This time she has regained her fiery piano and vocal energy by adding samba and Afro-Brazilian beats from Bahia…Light My Fire is a striking combination of jazz and Afro-Brazilian rhythms by one of the most interesting Brazilian musicians based in the United States.”
World Music Central

“After releasing more than twenty records, jazz sensation, Eliane Elias comes out with a real ‘jewel’ that she says just came to her. Just the album name, Light My Fire, combines two things you probably never heard in the same sentence: Jazz music and the ’60s rock band, The Doors…Together with an elite team of musicians, Elias combines a smooth ‘cool and sexy’ style with her Brazilian roots.”
Fox News Latino

“…Brazilian jazz has enjoyed a worldwide following through the music of veterans and younger artists like Ivan Lins and Eliane Elias, whose gifts as singer, songwriter, arranger and pianist give her the sort of mainstream appeal Gilberto herself had in the mid-‘60s. On Light My Fire, Elias, joined by vocalist Gilberto Gil, trumpeter Randy Brecker and guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, offers a diverse, swinging and immensely satisfying blend of Brazilian material and more…Projecting authority and a fertile creative mind, Elias has created a near-flawless effort, one reaffirming the elegance and timelessness of jazz from Brazil.”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“…[Elias] has always been a highly innovative pianist, and coupled with her unique voice and abilities as composer and songwriter of popular songs, she continues to be a visible and enjoyable jazz icon in contemporary jazz music. There is nobody just like her, for she is one of a special kind. Her piano stylings continue to dazzle and hypnotize!…Light My Fire is a lovely, memorable encounter. Every song performance is a winner on this CD collection and well-worth the listener’s time…a fine CD collection in all aspects. Highly recommended.”
JazzReview.com

“Elias, a fine pianist as well as a singer, offers versions of songs from her native land as well as South American-flavored versions of the title song, ‘My Cherie Amour’ and ‘Take Five,’ on which she does a tasty, wordless vocal. The album also gets great help from guitarists Oscar Castro-Neves and Romero Lubambo, trumpeter Randy Brecker and bassist Marc Johnson.”
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

“La voz sensual de la brasileña Eliane Elias y el genio de Gilberto Gil se unen por primera vez en Light My Fire, grabación de la también pianista de jazz que incluye versiones de clásicos de The Doors y Stevie Wonder.”
Associated Press Spanish

“Brazilian jazz pianist, vocalist Eliane Elias’ 2011 Concord Picante debut Light My Fire is a romantic and sultry affair that showcases her knack for traditional bossa nova tunes as well as few inspired covers. Joining Elias here are a few special guests including Brazil legend Gilberto Gil, who sings on three tracks, as well as singer Amanda Brecker (Elias’ daughter with trumpeter Randy Brecker) who appears on ‘Toda Menina Baiana.’ Also backing Elias are a bevy of talented individuals, including producer/bassist Marc Johnson, guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, percussionists Rafael Barata and Paulo Braga, and trumpeter Brecker. Along with Elias’ slow-burn take on the Doors’ title track, she delivers a stylish version of ‘My Cherie Amour,’ adds her own lyrics to trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s ‘Stay Cool,’ and even delves into Paul Desmond’s classic ‘Take Five.’”
All Music

“Light My Fire is to me a great presentation of the music of living life as lived in Brazil. Eliane Elias is a top-class artist and a joy to listen to. The recording is high quality and clear. It is a kaleidoscope of sounds, rhythms and expressions of life.”
Audiophile Audition

“RECOMMENDED…one of this year’s most enjoyable jazz records yet.”
New City (Chicago)

“Ah!…Brazil. The effervescing sound and at times, refreshingly relaxed, is on full display with Light My Fire by Eliane Elias. The emotional core of all the songs focuses on love’s many lovers…oh, I meant layers. Whether it is love of your fellow man, a love brought forth by circumstance or just the sparkle of good ol’ fashioned romance, Elias excels by hitting a bull’s-eye through the heart…Slip Light My Fire on and relax to her passionate summertime time-out.”
EDGE Magazine

“Brazilian jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias is exquisitely exceptional on her latest. You are going to love her soft, incandescent voice…”
HillRag

“This album is a treat of the highest order–equally enjoyed playing with children on the beach, or over a nice sunset après sun. Buy this on May 31 and be the envy of your friends, which we know is one of the chief joys of summer entertaining!”
[Q]onStage

“…Eliane’s beautiful voice makes you fall in love with the album, and the last track being a romantic ballad seems to be the perfect closure to Light My Fire, a strong album, ambitious but never pretentious.”
SoundsandColorus.com

“With a summer breeze voice that reminds of Astrid Gilberto but is more woman that coquette, Elias has rounded third and is heading toward home for that jazz Grammy next winter. Hot stuff throughout as she puts the boss in bossa nova.”
Midwest Record

“There’s is a tremendous amount of variety on Eliane Elias’ new Concord release, Light My Fire. Eliane has a telepathic connection with her top-drawer rhythm section, including veteran guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, bassist Marc Johnson, and drummer Paulo Braga. The legendary Gilberto Gil joins Elias on ‘Toda Menina Baiana’…Nearly all of the songs were done on first take and the CD represents very well what Elias delivers in live performance.”
Slacker.com

AARP Espanol has chosen Eliane’s version of “Take 5” as one of the top 10 Latin Jazz recordings of all time.
No es fácil el arte de Eliane Elias. Proveniente de Sao Paulo, la pianista y cantante brasileña toca música suave, sutil y sensual. En otras manos, el mismo estilo se transformaría en música para supermercados y ascensores. Pero Elias tiene un gusto irreprochable y el virtuosismo de su piano aparece cuando tiene que aparecer. Durante su adolescencia, trabajó con Toquinho y el poeta de la bossa nova, Vinicius de Moraes. Trasladarse a Estados Unidos le permitió desarrollar una carrera fructífera en el jazz latino, con docenas de discos que enfatizan las melodías de la samba, el jazz y la bossa. Un ejemplo perfecto de sus habilidades es esta flamante versión vocal de la archiconocida Take Five de Dave Brubeck. Elias la reviste de terciopelo
AARP

Elegant is one way to describe Light My Fire, the new album release by Brazilian pianist-singer-songwriter Eliane Elias, who while still in her teens was mentored by fellow Brazilians, singer-songwriter Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes who co-wrote and served as the lyricist for Antonio Carlos Jobim. While heavily influenced by Jazz it would be far too limiting to describe Elias’ new album as simply a Jazz recording. The elements of Pop and Adult Contemporary are evident throughout the songs. Breathtaking is the word that comes to mind while listening to the title song, as Ms. Elias accompanies herself beautifully on piano, while bassist Marc Johnson’s and drummer Paulo Braga’s playing is so subtle, it is like whispering in your lover’s ear. Eliane Elias’ voice is seductive and her phrasing is evocative. Eliane Elias has created a musical masterpiece with Light My Fire, an album that will sweep you away to another place and time, find a special place in your heart and leave you longing for the one you love or to be in love again. The arrangements are breathtaking, the musicianship is exquisite and Eliane Elias is elegant. This is a Grammy Award worthy performance by one of the most gifted ladies on the music scene today, in any genre.
Riveting Riffs

“In a career that spans around 30 years and over 20 albums, singer and pianist Eliane Elias has come to epitomize a cool, sophisticated jazz sensibility, especially on the bossa nova songs of her native Brazil. On Light My Fire, she set out to extend the range of styles and grooves in her music and, in so doing, mixes Brazilian music with a couple of jazz standards and one or two famous pop and rock songs. The Brazilian songs, which comprise the majority of the album, are splendidly cool and generate a real sense of positivity and optimism.”
All About Jazz

“There’s never been any doubt about Sao Paulo-born Elias’ extraordinary skills as a jazz pianist. But her new album, Light My Fire, thoroughly authenticates her equally impressive abilities as a singer. Performing in a brilliantly produced set of songs, she brings stunning new perceptions to everything she sings, from the incredibly atmospheric title track to an unexpected, but delightful version of Paul Desmond’s ‘Take Five.’”
The International Review of Music

“Showcasing the title tune from her latest release, Elias’ arrangement of the rock standard ‘Light My Fire’ was a bird of a different color, to be sure. Performed with a throbbing, slow pulse which allowed for her accented articulation of ‘few-neh-rahl pyre’, the singer transformed the piece into even darker, more mysterious and languid territory—offset by serpentine strands of piano adventure.”
San Diego Weekly Reader

“Certainly anyone who’s paid much attention to Elias–-who’s been making brilliant connections between straight-ahead jazz and Brazilian styles for more than two decades–-knows she can take just about anything and turn it into bossa nova magic. Exhibit A on Friday was Stevie Wonder’s ‘My Cherie Amour,’ a highlight from Elias’ new album, Light My Fire. With Elias caressing the lyrics with her breathy, seductive style, you had to pay attention to note the keyboard wizardy she was performing at the same time, slyly injecting the tune with bouncy rhythmic undertones.”
Examiner.com

“Brazilian piano prodigy Eliane Elias has shined in a myriad of fertile musical formats since bursting onto the jazz scene with the fusion supergroup Steps Ahead back in 1983. On Light My Fire, Elias excels as both a prodding pianist and heartfelt vocalist, on a varied set that celebrates her affinity for pop, jazz, and Brazilian song…Recommended”
Keyboard

“Elias may well be the finest example of Brazilian jazz musicality ever heard or seen grace the musical stage. Her humility and maturity were so refreshing when contrasted with the greatness of her music, and this was one of the more uplifting aspects of her music: it is not entertainment, it’s pure art. See and hear her now while she is arguably the finest creator of melodic/rhythmic jazz on the scene today. You may just have an unexpected peak experience and be blown away, too.”
All About Jazz

“One of the joys of listening to jazz music is discovering what the performer can do with a song you already know, particularly if it’s from a different genre. Few are as good at is as pianist/singer/songwriter, Eliane Elias, as she proves on her new album, Light My Fire (Concord Picante, a division of Concord Music Group). Along with four original songs, written or co-written by Elias, the album features unique covers of songs as diverse as the title cut, played slow and sexy and completely different from the original one you remember as recorded by Jim Morrison and The Doors, and ‘My Cherie Amour,’ the Motown pop hit from Stevie Wonder that Elias turns into her own sensual siren’s song.”
Color Magazine

“Brazil’s Eliane Elias was a widely acclaimed pianist, with both jazz and classical credits, long before she started adding her rich, romantic vocals to the mix. On her latest release, Elias’ singing, in both English and Portuguese, is front and center, as she explores a nicely mixed bag of bossa nova and Latin beats, jazz standards and reimagined rock and pop tunes…And while her vocals are paramount here, Elias’ exceptional piano playing should not be overlooked.”
New York City Jazz Record

Press Acclaim

Jazz Review

Light My Fire is Eliane Elias at her best and perfectly reflects her great talent as a composer, singer, songwriter and pianist. There are twelve songs on this excellent collection. Among the songs are found “Rosa Morena,” ”Stay Cool,” “Aquele Abraco,” ”Light My Fire,” “Silver Sandal,” “My Cherie Amour,” “Toda Menina Baiana,” “Bananeira,” “Made in Moonlight,” “Turn To Me,” ”Take Five,” and “What About the Heart.” Having followed the musical career of Eliane Elias since the late 1980s, she has always been a highly innovative pianist, and coupled with her unique voice and abilities as composer and songwriter of popular songs, she continues to be a visible and enjoyable jazz icon in contemporary jazz music. There is nobody just like her, for she is one of a special kind. Her piano stylings continue to dazzle and hypnotize!

Elais began studying piano at age seven and her recording career commenced in Brazil at age seventeen. During 1981, she went to New York where in 1982, she became associated with the group named Steps Ahead. It should also be mentioned that Eliane Elias also demonstrated her classical skills in 1993 with the release of On the Classical Side. In 2002, she recorded with internationally respected opera figure Denyce Graves in The Lost Days. There is a sensuous feel to her vocals and a clarity of tone that is perfectly suited to her performing talents. Another highly popular CD was her Dreamer released during 2004. Two songs of note in this fine collection, among others, is her interpretation of Jim Morrison and the Doors’ “Light My Fire” and Dave Brubeck Quartet’s “Take Five.” Listeners cannot help but be enchanted by the performance of her original composition, “What About the Heart,” and also “Turn to Me.” Light My Fire is a lovely, memorable encounter. Every song performance is a winner on this CD collection and well-worth the listener’s time…a fine CD collection in all aspects. Highly recommended.

source link: http://www.jazzreview.com/reviews/latest-cd-track-reviews/item/28108-light-my-fire-by-eliane-elias.html

Audiophile Audition

I first ran across Eliane Elias’ music early in my stint as a DJ-host on a jazz radio station in the early 2000s. The first item of business was to learn how to pronounce her name which in the language of Brazil, Portuguese is much different than English. It is pronounced eh-lee-AH-neh eh-LEE-ahs. This amazing artist was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her talents as a musician surfaced early and at seven years of age she was studying piano. At age fifteen she started teaching piano and improvisation at one of Brazil’s most prestigious schools of music. At seventeen she was working with Brazilian singer/songwriter Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes who was a co-writer/lyricist with Antonio Carlos Jobim. Having come from these roots she came to New York City in 1981. She has had a startling career as a pianist/vocalist with her warm, sensuous and rich voice and distinctive music style. She has over 20 albums to her credit, and has been a Grammy nominee.

Light My Fire has a mixture of Brazilian and English vocals. Four of the songs are compositions written or co-written by Elias. There are some interesting covers she presents such as “Light my Fire”, “My Cherie Amour”, and the jazz classic “Take Five”. Eliane says of this album, “I’ve made more than 20 records in my career. I’m proud of all of them, but I’m especially excited about this one. It feels like it has a life and an energy all its own”.

I had the opportunity to listen to an advance copy and it is impressive. The album opens with “Rosa Morena”. It starts with Latin-style percussion. Eliane lays down a chord rhythm for a few bars on piano and it builds. She then brings that rich warm sensuous voice singing in Portuguese accompanied by chording acoustic guitar, and I was hooked! Shivers went up my spine as I so love this style of music. “Stay Cool” sung in English has that certain sound I recall from the mid-60s when bossa nova hit the USA. “Aquele Abraço brings Eliane and Gilberto Gil together singing this composition of his in Portuguese. A delightful sounding song of inspiration described as sending out love to others in spite of his difficulties having been exiled from Brazil after spending some months in jail over political issues. “Light my Fire” is a slow and sexy version of the Jim Morrison and the Doors hit sung by Eliane in English. “My Cherie Amour”, a Stevie Wonder hit, is sung by Eliane who accompanies on piano. This song rendering is very sexy and sultry. “Toda Menina Baiana” is a very pleasant fast moving tune and has great rhythm through the vocals by Eliane, Gilberto Gil, and some back up vocalizing by Eliane’s daughter Amanda Brecker who is a singer-songwriter. “Take Five” is a slower version of Paul Desmond’s “Take Five” which Eliane lightly scats the melody accented by the muted trumpet of Randy Brecker. Eliane closes the album with “What About the Heart”. Sung in Portuguese she has a friendly sound. It is her composition speaking of “rekindling the passion and romance in a relationship that has become routine and complacent”

Light My Fire is to me a great presentation of the music of living life as lived in Brazil. Elaine Elias is a top-class artist and a joy to listen to. The recording is high quality and clear. It is a kaleidoscope of sounds, rhythms and expressions of life.

source link: http://audaud.com/2011/05/eliane-elias-–-light-my-fire-–-concord-picante/

Midwest Record

ELIANE ELIAS/Light My Fire: So why did the label let me review and album that won’t be out until 5/31/11 now? Could it be that in over two decades I’ve yet to think Elias has ever made a bad album? Could it be that she has yet to make a bad album? If you’re looking for the old pro to trip and fall, she doesn’t do it this time out either. While some of her albums are more special than others, this one is a bag breaker that is charting the course to the future. Until recently, vocals on an Elias outing were rare but here she takes it to the next level of the game. Masters thesis’s will be written about the languid, cougarisms she brings to “Light My Fire” and “My Cherie Amour” where it’s clear that she knows what she wants and the pot is cooking well past simmer, but she’s going to keep what she wants by letting you know You Da Man in a more mind melting way than all of Betty Davis’s sex soaked screaming put together. Please let me produce your cover of “Tell Me Something Good”. Not only will she make you forget The Doors, Stevie Wonder and John Davidson, she finds Latin grooves in “My Cherie Amore” that Stevie didn’t even know he put there. With a summer breeze voice that reminds of Astrid Gilberto but is more woman that coquette, Elias has rounded third and is heading toward home for that jazz Grammy next winter. Hot stuff throughout as she puts the boss in bossa nova. And you heard it from me first.

source link: http://midwestrecord.com/MWR322.html

Sounds and Colours.com

Composer, singer, songwriter and pianist, Eliane Elias is the perfect example of a Brazilian artist that has had a successful career outside Brazil. Based in New York, she has recorded more than 20 albums, containing a mix of English and Portuguese lyrics, though always crucially with a Brazilian vibe.

Eliane Elias’ new release is the album Light My Fire, an eclectic selection of 12 songs mixing jazz, soul, pop, bossa nova and Brazilian grooves. As the album name suggests, Eliane Elias does a cover of The Door’s 1967 hit, as well as other personal versions of famous songs from equally famous artists such as Stevie Wonder and Paul Desmond.
Brazilian music star Gilberto Gil makes a luxurious guest appearance in three songs, including the great “Toda Menina Baiana”, one of the definite highlights of this Light My Fire.

The opening track of this album is “Rosa Morena”, a very light but yet inspired mix of different sounds and instruments. The song that gives name to the album, “Light My Fire”, is the fourth track in the album and it reveals a strong influence of Brazilian music, which made me think that Jim Morrison would be proud of Eliane Elias’ “Light My Fire”, a slow and sexy bossa nova version of The Doors’ hit.

Before Elias moves on to another great cover, this time a sexy version of Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour”, she finds time for some Brazilian roots and shows some of her singing skills in the classic Brazilian “anthem” “Isto Aqui O Que E? (Silver Sandal)”. Another remarkable performance in this album is on “Turn To Me (Samba Maracatu)”, a song written and produced by Eliane and Gonzaguinha, son of Brazilian music legend Luiz Gonzaga, and a legend himself. As Gonzaguinha himself died in 1991, Gilberto Gil joins Eliane Elias on vocals for this one.
“Take Five” is an innovative cover of saxophonist Paul Desmond. Although the song became first famous more than 40 years ago, in1969, performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Eliane didn’t hesitate on making her own contemporary version of the song.

Another definite highlight is the last track “What About the Heart (Bate Bate)”, one of the best of Eliane’s own compositions on this album. The song is very soothing as the whole album seems to be. Eliane’s beautiful voice makes you fall in love with the album, and the last track being a romantic ballad seems to be the perfect closure to Light My Fire, a strong album, ambitious but never pretentious.

source link: http://www.soundsandcolours.com/reviews/music-reviews/eliane-elias-–-light-my-fire/

PittsburghLive.com

‘Light my Fire’ Eliane Elias (Concord Picante)

‘Mi Bossa Nova’ Carmen Cuesta (Tweetyrecords)

Timing can be a blessing or a curse. Singer Carmen Cuesta could have captured any number of Brazilian music fans with her “Mi Bossa Nova.” But she has the misfortune of competing with Eliane Elias’ “Light My Fire,” an album so strong the race is won from the first steps. Elias, a fine pianist as well as a singer, offers versions of songs from her native land as well as South American-flavored versions of the title song, “My Cherie Amour” and “Take Five,” on which she does a tasty, wordless vocal. The album also gets great help from guitarists Oscar Castro-Neves and Romero Lubambo, trumpeter Randy Brecker and bassist Marc Johnson. Cuesta’s album is more tradition-bound, focusing on classics such as Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Triste” and Luis Bonfa’s “Manha de Carnaval.” It also includes a gentle version of “No More Blues.” There is nothing lacking in her effort, but it definitely takes a backup spot to the work of Elias. – Bob Karlovits

source link: http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/music/s_738158.html

NewCity Music

Following up on 2009’s “Bossa Nova Stories” (Blue Note), Brazil-born pianist and singer Eliane Elias continues her jazz-oriented blend of originals and Brazilian and American standards, like CD opener “Rosa Morena,” a Dorival Caymmi song that predates the late-1950s bossa nova by a few years. She also revisits classics like Paul Desmond’s “Take Five,” and Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” alongside “Aquele Abraco,” an uptempo samba that features its composer, Brazilian songwriter Gilberto Gil.

The CD also includes a very personal and sexy rendition of the Doors’ “Light My Fire,” which gives the album its title. Gilberto Gil also appears on two more tracks, his own “Toda Menina Baiana” and “What About The Heart (Bate Bate),” an original Elias tune co-written with late songwriter Gonzaguinha. Backing her are great players in their own right such as Romero Lubambo (guitar), Oscar Castro-Neves (guitar), husband Marc Johnson (bass) and daughter Amanda Brecker—which makes this one of this year’s most enjoyable jazz records yet. (Ernest Barteldes)

source link: http://music.newcity.com/2011/05/22/record-review-light-my-fire-by-eliane-elias/

Time Out

“[Elias is] a nonpareil keyboardist, evidence of which can be found on her new album, Light My Fire, on which she covers the Doors (of course), Paul Desmond, Stevie Wonder and more. Stellar bassist Marc Johnson anchors the band.”

EDGE Boston

Ah!… Brazil. The effervescing sound and at times, refreshingly relaxed, is on full display with “Light My Fire” by Eliane Elias. The emotional core of all the songs focuses on love’s many lovers…oh, I meant layers. Whether it is love of your fellow man, a love brought forth by circumstance or just the sparkle of good ol’ fashioned romance, Elias excels by hitting a bull’s-eye through the heart.  Elaine Elias adds her own songwriting skill to four selections while also shimmering like starlight to conjure up a slow groove of sexiness to her covers of The Doors’ “Light My Fire” and “My Cherie” by Stevie Wonder.  She describes it best on the collection of songs when she elaborates, “I’ve made more than 20 records. I’m especially excited about this one. It feels like it has a life and energy all its own. Everybody in the studio was so focused and it was such a fun record to make. Not a note was wasted by anyone. It was an amazing experience. I think it’s cool, sexy and fun.”  Slip “Light My Fire” on and relax to her passionate summertime time-out.

source link: http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=music&sc2=reviews&sc3=&id=118746

All Music Guide

Review by Matt Collar

Brazilian jazz pianist, vocalist Eliane Elias’ 2011 Concord Picante debut Light My Fire is a romantic and sultry affair that showcases her knack for traditional bossa nova tunes as well as few inspired covers. Joining Elias here are a few special guests including Brazil legend Gilberto Gil, who sings on three tracks, as well as singer Amanda Brecker (Elias’ daughter with trumpeter Randy Brecker) who appears on “Toda Menina Baiana.” Also backing Elias are a bevy of talented individuals, including producer/bassist Marc Johnson, guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, percussionists Rafael Barata and Paulo Braga, and trumpeter Brecker. Along with Elias’ slow-burn take on the Doors’ title track, she delivers a stylish version of “My Cherie Amour,” adds her own lyrics to trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s “Stay Cool,” and even delves into Paul Desmond’s classic “Take Five.

source link: http://www.allmusic.com/album/light-my-fire-r2148002

Good Sound

Brazilian born Eliane Elias is no stranger to recordings, having produced over 20 albums in a wide variety of styles. In addition to her jazz pedigree as a respected keyboard player, singer, and arranger, Elias also has a classical music background and composes original music. Light My Fire contains four of her originals and several lightly swinging laid-back bossa nova tunes. What’s likely to attract the most attention are the remarkable covers of the title song and Paul Desmond’s “Take Five.” “Light My Fire” is re-imagined as a sexy samba, and whereas Jim Morrison’s original performance demands and pleads, Elias slyly cajoles and invites. “Take Five” features wordless vocals and a new development section that Elias created. Often, her vocal line is doubled by Randy Brecker’s trumpet. The recording clearly places Brecker behind Elias, and the unanimity of phrasing makes for a somewhat eerie, ghostly impression. I was hearing this sound in my head long after I’d shelved the disc. The balances on the rest of the tracks are exemplary and satisfying, with tight bass and warm upper frequencies. All in all, this is an appealing CD that would be a perfect summertime companion.

source link: http://www.goodsound.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=253:eliane-elias-light-my-fire&catid=62:regular-reviews&Itemid=91

Wall St Journal

Single guys take note: This Brazilian pianist-singer is a great act to bring a date to hear, and Dizzy’s is easily the most romantic-looking music venue in town. Even the uninitiated could dig Ms. Elias. Her music is very similar to the breakthrough bossa nova albums of João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Astrid Gilberto, with Ms. Elias playing all three roles by herself. Her new release, “Light My Fire,” combines originals with North American and South American standards from both the jazz and pop sides of the fence; she’s written a set of lyrics to trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s “Stay Cool,” and given the Doors’ title track and Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” a Brazilian waxing. She also tackles “Take Five.” I was trying to figure out if she could actually play a bossa nova in 5/4, but I was enjoying myself so much that I kept losing count.

source link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303745304576361642517402216.html?mod=ITP_newyork_5

Latin Beat Magazine

Pianist/vocalist/composer/arranger Eliane Elias delves into matters of the heart on her latest release, Light My Fire (Concord Picante). Featuring a collection of self-penned scores as well as covers of familiar all time classics such as the Jim Morrison and The Doors mega hit title track, pop icon Stevie Wonder’s My Cherie Amour, and jazz giant Paul Desmond’s Take Five, Elias transforms these musical gems and everything she touches into passionate and joyful interpretations. Backed by a crew of such top caliber players as Gilberto Gil (guitarist/vocalist), Randy Brecker (trumpet), Oscar Castro-Neves (guitar), Marc Johnson (bass), Paulo Braga (drums), and Marivaldo dos Santos (percussion), Elias takes us on a musical voyage of the heart while touching on the romantic, sexy and passionate sides of Brazilian jazz. Another highlight of this recording is the participation of singer-songwriter Amanda Brecker (Elias’ daughter) joining mom and Gil on the track Toda Menina Baiana (a rhythmic and joyful samba). Other personal favorites include the title track Light My Fire, Stay Cool, and Bananeira. —Rudy Mangual

DownBeat Magazine

June has arrived. That means it’s time to find a “summer album”—a disc that will go into heavy rotation for road trips, beach walks and other outdoor festivities. The latest release from singer/pianist Eliane Elias, Light My Fire, fits the bill, with its intoxicating mixture of original and iconic songs flavored by the bossa nova vibe of her native Brazil. The title track is a smoldering arrangement of The Doors’ 1967 hit, reworked with a slow tempo and electric guitar effects (from Ross Traut) that sound like a passenger train receding into the distance on a humid night. Another wondrous surprise is Elias’ introspective, vocalese rendition of “Take Five,” which is radically different from the titanic version by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, thanks in part to a slow-burning trumpet solo from Randy Brecker. Over the course of Elias’ distinguished career (which includes more than 20 albums), she has collaborated with Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Toots Thielemans and many others. The great tropicalia pioneer Gilberto Gil appears on three tracks here, serving as a terrific foil and duet partner. The singers’ duet on “Aquele Abraço” is an uptempo earworm, and with “Toda Menina Baiana” they deliver a groove guaranteed to provoke head bobbing and hip swaying. Throughout the album, whenever a track threatens to become a tad too light or airy, Elias spices it up with muscular pianism. Elias’ tour schedule includes shows in Toronto (June 29), Madrid (July 18) and Seattle (Sept. 8–11).

source link: http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=editorspicks201106

ABC News/Associated Press

Eliane Elias stands out from other Brazilian singers because she not only has a deep-rooted feel for the rhythms of her native land but also is fluent in the American jazz idiom after spending some 30 years in the United States.

“Light My Fire” showcases her talents as a four-tool player — singer, pianist, arranger and songwriter — with a romantic collection of classic Brazilian songs, American pop and jazz standards set to Brazilian grooves, and original tunes. She’s supported by top flight Brazilian and American musicians, including her rhythm section of guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, drummer Paulo Braga and her husband, bassist Marc Johnson.

Elias turns her attention beyond bossa nova to the hot Afro-Caribbean rhythms of Brazil’s northern Bahia region, opening with a percussive arrangement of Dorival Caymmi’s “Rosa Morena.” Several tracks mark her first-ever recordings with legendary guitarist-vocalist Gilberto Gil, with the two engaging in some intricate and exuberant vocal interplay on Gil’s uptempo bossa nova “Aquele Abraco” and his Afro-beat-inflected “Toda Menina Baiana.”

She turns down the heat to a sensual simmer on the Brazilian-flavored American covers — including a breezy rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” with her piano deftly accenting her vocals and a slow, alluring bossa nova version of “Light My Fire” that smoothes out the rough edges of the original by Jim Morrison and The Doors.

Elias’ personal Brazilian jazz blend shines through on her own compositions with lyrics in both Portuguese and English — particularly the dreamily romantic ballad “Made in Moonlight” and the passionate and pulsating “What About the Heart (Bate Bate),” which closes this appealing CD that’s a fitting soundtrack for warm summer nights.

CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: On “Take Five,” Elias offers a strikingly original take on Dave Brubeck Quartet saxophonist Paul Desmond’s odd-metered jazz classic with her cool, breathy wordless vocals accompanied by ex-husband Randy Brecker’s muted trumpet.

source link: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=13792395

eJazzNews

Review by John Stevenson

With vocals that simply drip sensuality, and a polished piano technique that has established her as one of the most talented practitioners on today’s jazz scene, Sao Paulo-born Eliane Elias is a formidable artist.

Her latest recording points in parts to a predilection for 1960s pop, with a molasses slow and oddly funereal take on Robby Krieger’s Light My Fire (Jim Morrison and The Doors). Stevie Wonder’s My Cherie Amour is coated in an attractively gentle bossa, alongside an innovative cover of Paul Desmond’s Take Five.

Legendary singer-guitarist Gilberto Gil’s guest spot on this session is definitely one of its sunniest highlights. On the 1969 hit song Aquele Abraco, Eliane and Gil relive the feverish tempo of Brazilian art and political engagement. And they push the funk quotient skyward with their infectious rendition of Toda Menina Baiana.

The musicians accompanying Elias all turn in stellar performances. They include guitarists Romero Lubambo and Oscar Castro-Neves, husband and bassist Marc Johnson, ex-husband Randy Brecker, veteran drummer Paulo Braga, percussionist Marivaldo dos Santos and young daughter Amanda Brecker. Following closely on 2009’s Bossa Nova Stories (Blue Note), Light My Fire accomplishes a delicate balance between the connected worlds of ultra-cool jazz, sexy bossa nova pieces and timeless pop anthems.

source link: http://ejazznews.com/2011/06/19/light-my-fire-eliane-elias-concord/

HamptonRoads.com SoundWaves

Even after more than 20 records over the course of 30 years, Brazilian jazz singer/pianist/composer/arranger Eliane Elias’ creative and passionate fire has yet to go out.

The Sao Paulo native expertly combines tunes by the Doors, Stevie Wonder and Paul Desmond with four originals, plus classics penned by Dori Caymmi and singing/composing legend Gilberto Gil.

Backed by a combo of top Brazilian and American musicians, Elias plies her distinctly alluring and sultry voice into songs rendered in Portuguese and English. No matter the genre – be it a pop tune, jazz standard or rock classic – the result is always a shimmering, sunny bout of jazz sweetened with bossa nova and samba touches. She turns the Doors’ “Light My Fire” into a slow, simmering bossa nova dirge, while “Isto Aqui O Que E” oozes with the essence of joyful Brazilian jazz.

Heated by Elias’ creative and nimble hands and voice, “Light My Fire” will re-ignite anyone’s love for classic Brazilian jazz and pop.

source link: http://hamptonroads.com/2011/06/eliane-elias-light-my-fire

New York Observer

The New York cabaret season is humming to a close, but before waxing that bikini line and heading for the beach, take note: The big rooms are saving the best for last. Smoldering like an ember on a rainy night, the peerless Brazilian singer-pianist Eliane Elias has been packing them in at Dizzy’s Coca-Cola, New York’s best jazz club and the only room in town where the food is as great as the music. With a voice as smoky and warm as a dark Creole roux, she is currently celebrating her new Concord Jazz CD, “Light My Fire”—and boy, does she ever. Accompanied by a tumultuous Brazilian jazz combo headed by her husband, Marc Johnson, on acoustic bass (“He’s from Omaha, Neb., but he has a Brazilian heart”), she provides some of the most sensual, un-gimmicky sounds in our digital world. Swinging in chords is always a thrill and she really knows how. The CD has three duets with the unsurpassed Gilberto Gil, and even outside the recording studio, she plays around with tempos like she’s mixing cocktails.

Maybe it’s the Portuguese, but Brazilian singers seem to make more sounds with their vocal chords than anyone else. Shapely and ladylike at first, when she kicks off her heels and goes to work on the pedals in her nylons, she really heats the gumbo. Think of Ellen Barkin playing a chanteuse on a nightclub stage owned by gangsters in an old black-and-white Hollywood musical, and you get the visuals. From familiar favorites like the Dave Brubeck theme song “Take Five” and Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” to her original composition “Bate Bate” (pronounced “Batchi-Batchi,” what the beat of the human heart sounds like in Rio), the sambas overflow in a throwback to the surprising, infectious rhythms that started the bossa nova craze 50 years ago. But Eliane Elias is also fresh, contemporary and sexy, taking classics by João Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim in a whole new direction. There really is nobody like her, and you owe it to yourself to catch her while the mic is still hot. Buy “Light My Fire”—it will cool your summer. – Rex Reed

source link: http://www.observer.com/Cabaret-Claire-Martin-Richard-Rodney-Bennet-Oak-Room-Elaine-Elias-Dizzys-Coca-Cola

World Music Central.org

The connections between Brazilian music, jazz and pop are longstanding, and Sao Paulo-born pianist/singer/composer Eliane Elias knows that. She’s among those who’ve kept such connections strong. But she’s gone further, even to the point of recorded works in classical and operatic mode.

Light My Fire doesn’t go so far afield but still plays to many of her strengths, starting with the subtle buildup of Dori Caymmi’s “Rosa Morena” and Kenny Dorham’s well-advised “Stay Cool” before jumping into duet mode alongside Gilberto Gil on Gil’s political exile tale “Aquele Abraco.”

….[Elias] has a smoky go at Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour,” does some more sweet sparring with Gil on both the afoxe-flavored “Toda Menina Baiana” and Gonzaguinha co-composition “Turn To Me (Samba Maracatu)” and even freshens a piece as familiar as “Take Five.”

Original compositions are the minority but “Made In Moonlight” and “What About The Heart (Bate Bate)” prove to be warm, inviting reminders that Elias has plenty of worthwhile sentiments of her own. Plus she’s got players such as trumpet expert Randy Brecker on hand to make Light My Fire (on which she did all the arranging and a good part of the producing) a slinky, satisfying soundtrack for many an occasion.

I expect to be reaching for this album repeatedly in those warm summer months that are just around the corner. Or in any kind of weather, really.

source link: http://worldmusiccentral.org/

Rekindling the Fire – World Music Central

Brazilian pianist, vocalist and composer Eliane Elias explores Afro-Brazilian rhythms in her latest album, titled Light My Fire. This time she has regained her fiery piano and vocal energy by adding samba and Afro-Brazilian beats from Bahia.
Light My Fire includes five originals by Elias as well as covers of musical works by songwriters such as rock legend Jim Morrison and The Doors, soul star Stevie Wonder and jazz saxophonist Paul Desmond.

Eliane Elias mixes powerful rhythmic pieces with intimate ballads. Throughout the album she performs a series of her superb piano solos. “Some of the tunes are cool and laid back, but others are quite rhythmic and joyful,” says Elias. “And they have some different grooves. I tend to gravitate toward romance – beautiful melodies, beautiful harmonies and rhythms with a great feel. But more than anything else, I’m singing about love on this record in its different aspects and dimensions.”
Light My Fire includes numerous talented musicians like legendary guitarist/vocalist Gilberto Gil and jazz trumpeter Randy Brecker. Her outstanding rhythm section includes renowned guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, bassist Marc Johnson, drummer Paulo Braga, percussionist Marivaldo dos Santos, drummer Rafael Barata, guitarists Romero Lubambo and Ross Traut, and flutist Lawrence Feldman. Elias’ daughter, singer-songwriter Amanda Brecker appears on Other Also on hand to sing with Elias and Gil on “Toda Menina Baiana.” Although I’m not a big fan of jazzified rock songs, the electric slide guitar work by Ross Straut is outstanding in “Light My Fire.

“I’ve made more than 20 records in my career,” says Eliane Elias. “I’m proud of all of them, but I’m especially excited about this one. It feels like it has a life and an energy all its own. With very few exceptions, nearly all of the songs were first takes. Everybody in the studio was so focused, and it was such a fun record to make. The music was really flowing, and we all felt very relaxed. From the very first day, not a note was wasted by anyone. It was an amazing experience.”

“I’m very excited about the music on this album,” concludes Elias. “I think it’s cool, sexy and fun. This recording is the truest expression of what I’m doing right now, and it represents very closely what people hear me doing live in concert.”
Light My Fire is a striking combination of jazz and Afro-Brazilian rhythms by one of the most interesting Brazilian musicians based in the United States.

source link: http://worldmusiccentral.org/2011/06/02/rekindling-the-fire/Eliane Elias

JazzTimes Magazine

Bright as August along the Costa de Sol and breezy as an Hawaiian lanai, the latest from Brazilian pianist-vocalist-arranger Eliane Elias is possibly the most refreshing summertime jazz album since Getz met the Gilbertos. Blending Brazilian classics, original compositions and pop and jazz standards, Elias plays and sings exquisitely on all 12 selections, surrounding herself with the same number of exemplary artists, including her ex-husband Randy Brecker on trumpet, bassist Marc Johnson, drummer Paulo Braga, guitar greats Oscar Castro-Neves and Romero Lubambo and legendary guitarist-vocalist Gilberto Gil.

Elias’ slow, sensual treatment of the Door’s title track is a masterpiece of musical foreplay, her dusky reinterpretation of “Take Five” and gossamer cover of Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour” equally enticing. Her lilting exploration of Gil’s farewell valentine to Rio, “Aquele Abraço”, complete with a whispered nod to the composer, positively shimmers, and she shapes her own billet doux to her native country’s joyful resilience with the vibrant “Isto Aqui O Que E”. Also new is “What About the Heart (Bate Bate),” a mellow wish for rekindled romance. Dipping into her own history, Elias includes the two-decade-old (though never previously recorded) “Turn to Me (Samba Maracatu),” sculpted, with vocal assistance from Gil, as a sparkling tribute to her co-writer, the great Luiz Gonzaguinha do Nascimento Jr.

RJ on Jazz

Eliane Elias Shows a Captivating Charm to Merge with Monster Musical Talent

 Eliane Elias was a fantastic pianist when she came from her native Sao Paulo to New York City in 1981. She’s already worked with some of the best Brazilian musicians as a teenager. Her early albums show a pianist with monster chops, but with the ability to display delicate beauty. Passion and emotion.   She did a vocal album of Antonio Carlos Jobim music (Eliane Elias Sings Jobim, Blue Note, 1998) but admits she was a bit tentative with her singing. Since then, her soft, sensual voice has become more of a mainstay in her work. Dreamer (Bluebird, 2004) was a delight, as was and Boss Nova Stories (Blue Note, 2008). More surety in the vocals.

With Brazilian music, she’s obviously at home and nails the material, but other songs she selects come joyfully to life.  Now there’s Light My Fire, out this year on Concord. It’s not that dissimilar in content to her recent vocal outings, but her masterful piano has a strong presence, her singing seems to grow stronger. Her band is tight. It’s a record that’s jumped up the musical charts. In support of it,. She’s on a huge tour that takes her and her sparkling band around the world. Not too many artists can boast of such an itinerary. It’s warming to see a performer of such class, style and talent get the support of fans and the music industry.  An fans, she has in large numbers. Her live concerts are always enchanting because the musicianship is so high. At Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, in June, the band was full of energy.

She did songs from the new CD, as well as some from past albums. Romero Lubambo joined on guitar. Marc Johnson, one of the finest bassists out there, is still at the hub of the rhythm and percussionist Marlvaldo dos Santos adds a great layer to the sound. The band sizzles and Elias‘ voice adds the charm and sensuality  “I’m truly very excited with this album,” she said after the concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. This album, from the very beginning, had a force of its own. It’s doing so well. It’s so wonderful to see. When you do the work, and the way it’s being received by critics, by the people … You saw the show. You see how people love it. There’s such energy. We’re very happy about it.”  It’s a joyous event when this band plays. So much that the superior musicianship might slide under the radar. But listen closely and see what’s at work. Fantastic music, great piano.   The band had been in South America and from SPAC was off to Canada. The Europe, South America again, Central America, to the United States and back to Europe. Then the U.S. and Asia. So much of the world will get to see it.

 “I always brought different elements of Brazilian music, but I’ve done a lot of albums that were more instrumental. This is a vocal album that still has a lot of piano. But this album, with the vocals has more of a variety of elements of Brazilian music, than just the bossa nova. There’s some music from the north of brazil, from Bahia. And some Afro-Brazilian rhythms. Then we have percussion added,” she said. “It’s a very special album and it has an aspect to it that is different than the others. It has some very sexy moments. It has moments that are very cool, vibey. But also a lot of rhythm, groove and romance. It has different things that worked so nice together.”  Elias has found a way to get everything to work together.   Though she says her first love is jazz, having been influenced by the greats like Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett, she also loves the music of Brazil and puts a stamp on it that is now her own. It’s intimate and joyous.

And her playing still smokes. Don’t be surprised if more hard-core jazz albums emerge as Elias’ career continues its growth. This is a first-rate musician whose accolades, and awards that have been amassed along the way, are well deserved.  In concert, it’s invigorating.

source link: http://rjonjazz.blogspot.com/

10 joyas del jazz latino
El género continúa desatando pasiones, aun en el nuevo milenio.
AARP
por: Ernesto Lechner | 19 de agosto de 2011

Eliane Elias  Take Five
No es fácil el arte de Eliane Elias. Proveniente de Sao Paulo, la pianista y cantante brasileña toca música suave, sutil y sensual. En otras manos, el mismo estilo se transformaría en música para supermercados y ascensores. Pero Elias tiene un gusto irreprochable y el virtuosismo de su piano aparece cuando tiene que aparecer. Durante su adolescencia, trabajó con Toquinho y el poeta de la bossa nova, Vinicius de Moraes. Trasladarse a Estados Unidos le permitió desarrollar una carrera fructífera en el jazz latino, con docenas de discos que enfatizan las melodías de la samba, el jazz y la bossa. Un ejemplo perfecto de sus habilidades es esta flamante versión vocal de la archiconocida Take Five de Dave Brubeck. Elias la reviste de terciopelo

Riveting Riffs

Elegant is one way to describe Light My Fire, the new album release by Brazilian pianist-singer-songwriter Eliane Elias, who while still in her teens was mentored by fellow Brazilians, singer-songwriter Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes who co-wrote and served as the lyricist for Antonio Carlos Jobim. While heavily influenced by Jazz it would be far too limiting to describe Elias’ new album as simply a Jazz recording. The elements of Pop and Adult Contemporary are evident throughout the songs.

Breathtaking is the word that comes to mind while listening to the title song, as Ms. Elias accompanies herself beautifully on piano, while bassist Marc Johnson’s and drummer Paulo Braga’s playing is so subtle, it is like whispering in your lover’s ear. Eliane Elias’ voice is seductive and her phrasing is evocative.

The second song on Light My Fire, “Stay Cool,” possesses an airy, upbeat melody, incredible percussion by Marivaldo dos Santos and a stirring performance by Ms. Elias on the piano. “Stay Cool,” sets the mood for an album that is romantic, at times, as she takes time flirting with, teasing and seducing the listener.

Several of the songs on this delicious album are over 4:00 in length and yet never does the listener grow weary. Quite the contrary, the listener is left wanting more, such as the lively “Toda Menina Baiana,” a song on which Eliane Elias is joined by vocalists Gilberto Gil and Ms. Elias’ daughter Amanda Brecker.

Although surrounded by a cast of very accomplished musicians which also includes, guitarists Romero Lubambo, Ross Traut and Gilberto Gil, drummer Rafael Barata, trumpeter Randy Brecker and flutist Lawrence Feldman, make no mistake that the centerpiece of this breathtaking recording is Eliane Elias. Eliane Elias’ gentle, whispering vocals on “Made In Moonlight,” serve as a beautiful love letter to the one whom the singer invites to share her heart. The words “imagination please come true, I am so in love with you,” also describe the listener’s experience, as it is easy to imagine looking into the eyes of that special someone, gently caressing a cheek or saying, I love you.

“More than anything else, I’m singing about love on this record in its different aspects and dimensions,” says Eliane Elias. Singing “It’s all about the heart,” Ms. Elias’ original composition “What About The Heart (Bate Bate),” is performed in both Portuguese and English and expresses the desire to reignite the passion and romance in a relationship that has become routine and complacent. Eliane Elias explains that “Bate Bate,” represents the sound of a quietly beating heart. It is difficult to imagine that this year, we will hear an album from another singer, who so aptly expresses the desires of a heart that longs for romance, in the way that Eliane Elias evokes those feelings with her vocal performance on Light My Fire.

Paul Desmond’s “Take Five,” is presented more with vocalese than it is with Eliane Elias singing words and yet the listener is so captivated by the beauty of her voice that if there were lyrics one suspects the song would be overstated. The percussion is subtle and Randy Brecker’s trumpet is debonair. Ms. Elias’ presentation of “Take Five,” is enchanting. Eliane Elias has created a musical masterpiece with Light My Fire, an album that will sweep you away to another place and time, find a special place in your heart and leave you longing for the one you love or to be in love again. The arrangements are breathtaking, the musicianship is exquisite and Eliane Elias is elegant. This is a Grammy Award worthy performance by one of the most gifted ladies on the music scene today, in any genre.

source link: http://www.rivetingriffs.com/Eliane%20Elias.html

Jazzwise Magazine

Eliane Elias slows things right down on new album Light My Fire, delivering a remarkably sensuous sounding record that draws within its reach bossa nova, the jazz traditions which Elias has played all her career, and her belief in the power of intuitive improvisation. Interview; Peter Quinn.  It’s not just slow. It’s breathtakingly slow. There’s a syncopated, two-chord vamp in the piano. While the bassist marks each chord change on the beat, the drummer’s brushes subtly reinforce the pianist’s syncopation. Emerging out of this three-part texture are the sustained single notes of an overdriven guitar. Bathed in a luxuriant reverb, the overall effect is the musical equivalent of a heat haze. You almost expect to see your speakers glowing like hot coals. Then, after what is only in fact an eight-bar introduction, yet feels like time itself has been suspended – and deliciously phrased behind the beat – the ice cool vocal kicks in. “You knowww that it would beee untrue…”  You could argue until hell freezes over about whether it’s possible for a cover version to improve on the original. To argue whether a cover version can be sexier than the original, on the other hand, is a different matter entirely. You’d actually need just a single piece of evidence to win your case hands down: the title track of Light My Fire, the new album from the Sao Paolo-born, New York-based pianist, vocalist and composer Eliane Elias.

source link: http://www.jazzwisemagazine.com/feature-table-mainmenu-134/11978-eliane-elias-light-my-fire-

Eliane Elias offers a sultry take on jazz, by way of Brazil
By Tad Hendrickson  For The Star-Ledger

The intersection of jazz, pop and Brazilian music has been a particularly fruitful hybrid for more than 50 years. Brazilians are adept at taking classic rock and pop melodies and fusing them to their native rhythms; and every jazz musician has contended with landmark works by Antônio Carlos Jobim and others. As someone who was born and raised in Brazil and lived her adult life in New York, pianist and singer Eliane Elias has pushed and pulled at these influences over the years. Her latest album, “Light My Fire,” takes its name from the Doors song she recorded for the album, but the CD is decidedly Brazilian in nature.

On Sunday, she will lead a quintet at the State Theatre that features bassist Marc Johnson, drummer Mark Walker, guitarist Rubens de La Corte and percussionist Marivaldo Dos Santos. The intimate show — all 192 seats will be on the theater’s stage — will be part of the venue’s fifth annual New Jersey Blues & Jazz Festival, which also features Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues, the Larry Coryell Trio and the Tito Puente Jr. Orchestra. “We’ll play a lot of the music we recorded for the CD, but we will, of course, stretch it out so it features everyone from the band,” says Elias, 51. “And we will be presenting a lot of the music from Brazil. Of course, there is bossa nova, but we also go beyond the bossa nova to the Afro-Brazilian rhythms from the north of Brazil because of Marivaldo, who is from Bahia.”

Brazilian pop also makes an appearance on “Light My Fire,” thanks to presence of the legendary Gilberto Gil on three songs. Ace guitarists Romero Lubambo and Oscar Castro-Neves and a battery of drummers also appear on the session, but Elias’ sultry voice and richly detailed piano playing are front and center throughout. The album has been universally well received, with the Elias original “What About the Heart (Bate Bate)” recently nominated for a Latin Grammy.

“Before I picked the material for the album, I came up with the concept,” says Elias. “I lean toward romantic songs — not romantic songs about loss, but romantic songs about yearning for one’s love, or a country, or whatever it is. It was to be something positive and romantic, especially for this record.”

If there were an overlying theme to Elias’ career, it would be that it is ever-evolving. Born in São Paulo to a musical family, she studied classical music and jazz as a child, eventually becoming so proficient in her teens that she transcribed classic jazz piano solos and taught at conservatory.

In 1981, she relocated to New York, where she studied at Juilliard and embarked upon a career as a straight-ahead pianist. She didn’t start recording vocal tracks until 1991 and didn’t do so regularly until 10 years after that. At the same time, her sets drew upon her roots more and more.
“When I first came to New York, I was establishing myself as a jazz pianist first, then I brought in more and more of Brazil, but instrumentally,” she says. “In the last several years, it has been the voice and the piano integrated. At first, I couldn’t imagine a show where I would sing something, but now I sing and play on every song.”

Any Brazilian will tell you that dancing is also an integral part of the musical experience, and Elias is no different — she’s taken to dancing onstage for a song, not only illustrating the Brazilian rhythms but also how comfortable she has become in her role as singer and bandleader as well as pianist. “I’ll be doing it in very high heels,” she says of her dancing, laughing at the absurdity of it. “When I sit down, I play barefoot. When I stand up, I’m in very high heels. It comes naturally, I guess.”

source link: http://www.nj.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2011/09/eliane_elias_offers_a_sultry_t.html

Posted April 20, 2013 by Eliane & filed under News.

Eliane Elias, Brazilian-born pianist and vocalist, presented an enviable image as she grinned and tossed her mane of blonde hair, pounding out rhythms with insatiable enthusiasm.

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