Bossa Nova Stories

Eliane Elias | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 13, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B0019M06JS
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,819 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #4 in Music > Jazz > Brazilian Jazz
  • #4 in Music > World Music > Latin Music > Brazilian
  • #10 in Music > Jazz > Latin Jazz

Editorial Reviews

Now based in New York, Eliane Elias was born in Sao Paolo and grew up as a child prodigy on the piano during the 60's when Bossa Nova was conquering the world. Following the critically acclaimed Blue Note album "Eliane Sings and Plays Bill Evans" and 2 sold out shows at London's famed Ronnie Scott's in May, this album is a collection of Bossa Nova classics and bossa interpretations of some other classic songs performed with an all-star band of completely new recordings. Eliane is simply one of the world's great jazz pianists and her voice suits the Bossa Nova style perfectly. She is now one of the foremost interpreters of this style of music and this album is one of the best and most sought-after from the whole range of 50th anniversary releases this year.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

74 of 76 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brazilian perfume August 24, 2008

By G Mojay

Format:Audio CD

The music of Eliane Elias is deeply harmonic and sensual. At its heart is utterly superb jazz piano - rhythmic, gently propulsive and essentially (though not overtly) Brazilian. Elias infuses her sonorous, vibrant playing with some pleasingly melodic, whispery-delicate vocals - always pitch-perfectly complementing her sumptuous piano verve.

'Bossa Nova Stories' combines loving interpretations of Brazilian jazz classics with some popular American standards, all quality-assured by the formidable rhythm section of top-level bassist Marc Johnson (her husband) and percussionist Paulo Braga. About half the tracks are enriched by subtle orchestral arrangements conducted by Rob Mathes - reminiscent to me of those that embellish Diana Krall's 'The Look of Love'.

'Bossa Nova Stories' is essential listening to all who like, or certainly who love, Brazilian jazz. Track no 6, 'Estate (Summer'), can only be described as sublime - one of the most exquisite of jazz-samba melodies taken assuredly by Elias to a new level with the help of Toot Thieleman's passionate, playful harmonica. Further album standouts include 'Girl from Ipanema', 'Desafinado', 'Superwoman' and 'Ră (The Frog)'.

The album may not be as accomplished in jazz terms as the powerful 'Paulistana' or as innovative as the highly recommended 'Kissed by Nature', which comprises some wonderful Elias originals. Yet as an uplifting virtuoso homage to Brazilian jazz, 'Bossa Nova Stories' is a wise investment in complete musical enjoyment.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "Romantic, Cool, Jazzy, Sensuous, Sublime Bossa Nova" April 6, 2009

By Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

"I grew up in Sao Paulo in the 60s hearing the Bossa Nova. It was all around us. This was the popular music of our day, with its infectious rhythm and poetic lyrics; romantic, cool, jazzy, sensuous, sublime. I lived and breathed this music. It's in my DNA." ~ Eliane Elias ~

I have enjoyed Bossa Nova music as far back as I can remember. How I love its enthralling sounds. About four years ago, while I was searching at Amazon for some new Bossa Nova albums that would appeal to my ears, I came across Dreamer and after listening to snippets, I was pleased with what I heard and immediately placed my order on "one-click." And that was my first exposure to Eliane Elias. That album triggered me to explore her discography and have since added to my collection Brazilian Classics, Sings Jobim, Something for You: Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans and of late this remarkable album, "Bossa Nova Stories."

The album contains a mix of seven Brazilian songs, five standards from the Great American Songbook, a beautiful Italian song "Estate" which features the exquisite harmonica playing of a great musician Toots Thielemans, and a Stevie Wonder song "Superwoman." The entire album delights the listeners not only with her cool and smooth vocals, but her pianistic flair on Steinway as well. She is backed up by Oscar Castro-Neves and Ricardo Vogt on guitar, Marc Johnson on bass, Paulo Braga on drums and percussion, and an orchestra arranged and conducted by Rob Mathes, a fine arranger who is also known for his wonderful works with Tony Bennett, Carly Simon, Sting, Stevie Wonder, Sade, Natalie Cole, Renne Fleming, Luciano Pavarotti, Peter Cincotti, and The Boston Pops, among many others.

For an opener, the versatile Eliane Elias transports the listeners to a place evocative of the pristine beaches of Rio as she confidently sings in English and Portuguese the most-widely recorded and most popular Bossa Nova staple, "The Girl From Ipanema."

She fine-tuned the best-loved Brazilian standards and made them more engaging and especially pleasing to the ears as she glides to the "infectious rhythms and poetic lyrics" of "Desafinado," "Chega de Saudade" and "A Ra." She is at her utmost best and more at home singing these songs having admitted that she "lived and breathed Bossa music." It is truly in her "DNA."

The chart for a perennial favorite "They Can't Take That Away From Me," which starts off with Oscar Castro-Neves' beguiling guitar intro, is immersed with the coolest and typical Bossa Nova arrangement. It is as charming as her takes on "Too Marvelous For Words," "Day In Day Out," "Day By Day" and "The More I See You." It is ever so nice listening to timeless standards with seasonings of flavorful and tasty Bossa Nova spices.

In sum, this is one of the loveliest albums ever recorded in the history of Brazilian jazz. I just hope there will be a follow-up album of this genre - Bossa Nova Stories, Volume Two - which will include fresh recordings of my all-time favorite Brazilian classics such as "Triste," "Mas Que Nada," "Agua de Beber," "A Felicidade," "Manha de Carnaval," "So Danco Samba," "O Amor En Paz," "Insensatez" and "Aquarela do Brasil."

Please give it a listen and appreciate the beauty of Bossa Nova music.

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Singing in top form, but not on a par with Dreamer January 13, 2009

By Al Au

Format:Audio CD

After Something For You, the very nice tribute album to Bill Evans, Eliane Elias releases Bossa Nova Stories, another all-singing album resembling the concept of Dreamer (actually Dreamer contains a very touching instrumental version of A House Is Not A Home as the closing track). Not all the tracks are Bossa Nova tunes but they are interpreted in such a style.

Her singing is surely in top form, but the music lacks the magic slightly as compared to Dreamer. One of the reasons may be that the jazz trio element has been suppressed. Meanwhile, Elaine Elias' idiosyncratic "Merry-Go-Round" type solo lines are mostly missing. While she redoes a number of Jobim tunes in this album, the results are not as tasteful as her previous attempts. Take Chega de Saudade for example, the treatment is much fresher in her earlier album Three Americas.

Listeners who would like to experience the best singing of Eliane Elias, I strongly recommend Dreamer (check comments from the Amazon reviewers), Kiss of Nature (her best album so far in my opinion), Eliane Elias Sings Jobim, and Three Americas. I give 5 stars to all of these albums. Despite saying that, the present album is at most 10% off to her best work. My rating is still rounded up to 5 stars.