Customer Reviews

Brazilian Classics

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FWIW, I have jazz degrees from a couple of the best music schools in the US (that & $5 will get you a Cappucino at Starbucks). IMO, Eliane Elias can play, she "digs in", her time is great, & she can sing.

Eliane Elias may be my new jazz piano hero/heroine. At least amongst younger players. It's not that her playing is the best jazz piano playing in history; it's that she "grooves": maybe one of the funkiest, most time-keeping pianists ever. Maybe out of Horace Silver? Or Joe Sample?

And the audio quality on this "Red Book CD" is truly excellent. It sounds gorgeous on my "high end" audio system.

She's not going to put Fred Hersch, or Bud Powell, or K.J. out of business of course (but they're not singers/players, & I haven't even't emphasized her excellent singing yet--maybe it'd be more apt to compare her to Nat Cole on his Trio recordings, but then Nat was "incomparable"). It's that for me, the "musicality" of her playing & singing really grabs me.....whether you're a jazz purist, or someone who wants to explore jazz, you should check this out.....

Elaine Elias is an excellent jazz keyboardist . She is engaged with the real spirit of the saudade ( a clever term employed in Brazil to design something more than a farewell , you may consider it nostalgia but it goes far beyond this meaning) .

Anyway his magic fingers and velvet voice carries you to Rio de Janeiro and evoke the smooth mood and the seductive rhythm in every track .

Elias made a sincere tribute not only to Brazil but all his talented composers Vinicio de Moraes , Milton Nascimento, Jobim these pioneers of the bossa nova and glorious and timeless themes such Garota de Ipanema , Agua de beber, Chega de saudade , Dindi , March waters ,Brazil, Black Orpheus or one note samba are some of the most emblematic titles of that febrile land so filled of charm and mystery .

Elias shows off her great Latin Jazz piano sounds, with some fun and joy filled tracks on this album. If you haven't listened to Elias before, this is the album to get. You won't be disappointed if you are a fan of the latin jazz sounds, and you don't have to be a purist to enjoy it. I find her piano innovations and emotions to be more creative than Krall on this album. The trio works together cohesively, and Elias blends the piano sounds to highlight the bass and percussion. You'll want to get up and dance to this one !!

Eliane Elias' "Brazilian Classics" is all about Brazilian standards in its variety of flavors and kaleidoscope of colors, in many different styles and rhythms, some with vocals and some purely instrumentals. Here, she is joined by a bunch of seasoned musicians who greatly contributed their enormous talents to make this recording a true beauty--Michael Brecker (tenor sax), Dave Valentin (flute), Marc Johnson and Eddie Gomez (bass), Oscar Castro Neves (vocals/acoustic guitar), Ivan Lins (vocals), Jack DeJohnette and Peter Erksine (drums), to mention a few among many others. Released in 2003, this album was recorded under Blue Note Records, a famous recording company known for its superior quality jazz recordings.

Who can authentically and beautifully render Brazilian standards with much flair and creativity than Eliane Elias herself? As she sings "Chega de Saudade," she shows off not only her smooth vocals in her native tongue, but also her mastery on piano. She is one of the few female artists who can simultaneously and effortlessly sing and play piano and pull it off with ease and precision, and excel in both. Oscar Castro Neves' articulate guitar riffs complement Ms. Elias' self-assured reading of the lyrics, and dexterous tinkling of her cherished instrument, Steinway piano.

For female vocals, she has recorded the most authentically beautiful version of "Garota de Ipanema," which highlights the artistry of one of the greatest saxophonists in the jazz world, Michael Brecker. (For male vocals, my vote still goes to Frank Sinatra's sublime interpretation in his collaborative album with Antonio Carlos Jobim, "Francis Albert Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim," which is absolutely one of Frank Sinatra's very best recordings of all-time).

"Aquarela do Brazil," "Wave," "Dindi," "One Note Samba" and "Manha de Carnaval" are purely instrumentals which were ingeniously executed with lots of improvisations that made them standout from the rest of the tracks. These are testaments of excellent musicianship that Eliane Elias and the musicians delivered spotlessly. They made these classics fresh again with new twists that are so captivating to the ears without losing respect to the original tunes.

I enjoyed listening to this recording and would certainly recommend it to fans of Brazilian jazz. You'll be charmed with the spirit and musical ambiance of Brazil in its splendor. So listen now and have a warm and cozy musical adventure.

Happy Listening!

This is the 1st cd of hers I've heard.It reminds me alot of Krall's early(jazzier) work.Most of the songs are instrumentals,only about a third of them are sung,but the piano(she's the pianist-like Krall) is great,very inventive.

This CD is a must have if you are new to the great talent of Eliane Elias.

Kudos to Michael Cuscuna for co-selecting this compilation of tracks from
great previously released albums on Blue Note music label: "Eliane Elias Plays Jobim", "The Three Americas", "Paulistana", "Eliane Elias Sings Jobim", "Fantasia", and "On The Classical Side" on EMI Classics.

The first 15 tracks are a Brazilian jazz delight with Eliane on Piano, Eddie Gomez or Marc Johnson on Bass, Peter Erskine, Jack DeJohnette, Satoshi Takeishi or Paulo Braga on Drums, Oscar Castro-Neves on Guitar, Michael Brecker, Dave Valentin, Ivan Lins, Cafe, Nana Vasconcelos and others.

But the "icing on the cake" is the sound: this CD sounds fantastic!!!

The Mastering by Dave McEowen was superb. If you are an audiophile and have great audio gear, this CD will give you a glimpse of how good 16-bit @ 44.1 KHz can sound.

Track 16, although superbly performed, didn't seem to belong on this compilation and doesn't sound as good as the others.

If you're a Brazilian jazz lover you'll probably end up getting most -if not all- of the albums showcased on this compilation.

Hint to Michael Cuscuna: a DVD Video documentary of Eliane Elias Brazilian Classics compilation would be great.

This CD made me realize I am a Brazilian music purist. Could not bear the new age additions of running water and singing children; no doubt a talented pianist, but these tunes are lousy with studio pyrotecnics. I am donating this to my grandmother's senior home after listening just once.