Review: Eliane Elias - Paulistana

After proving herself a talented and unique piano voice, albeit with a sometimes frustratingly erratic output, Eliane Elias hit gold with ‘Fantasia’, a beautiful album that was received with strong critical notices and sold handsomely. And thankfully for her follow-up, ‘Paulistana’, she wisely continued in the same vein and continues on a decidedly handsome winning streak.

As before a nicely rounded mix of Brazillian composers hits from the likes of Barroso, Jobim and Bonfa are here alongside Elias’ own strong efforts peppering the mix. The opening salvo of the anthemic ‘Brazil’, Carlos Lyra’s classic ‘Influencia Do Jazz’ and Elias’ own ‘Paulistana’ alone is a huge treat, with each possessing a distinct and memorable melody.

Her favoured piano trio is the format of choice here, with Elias keen to hint at Bill Evans, as well as showcasing her own sound, with many tracks benefitting from some soulful and rhythmic percussion. On the downside, a handful of tracks also unweildily gain some of Elias’ vocals. Not to say that her voice is bad though - in fact its limited range is heightened by the warm and sensuous tone she brings to the lyrics – but its occasional lead means that her own piano playing, her greatest asset, is at times greatly reduced.

A warm and enjoyable listening experience, the recasting of these classics in a jazz format is a winning success, and Elias’ own pieces here, including the title track, are also much stronger than before, blending nicely with the well-chosen covers. And even despite the small flaws, ‘Paulistana’ is a great uplifting jazz record that sits nicely in Eliane Elias’ discography.

****

Review: Eliane Elias - Around The City

Eliane Elias has managed to maintain an unwavering dedication in her career as a jazz pianist and composer. In an industry where women tend to be packaged and marketed as female first, and then talented second, and where anyone south of Texas gets branded as a ‘Latin musician’ regardless of what actual music they play, Elias has somehow been able to find and broaden her audience simply by following the music.

‘Around The City’ then continues this journey, with a well-blended mix of original compositions (with some help from songwriters Lauren Christy and Lester Mendez) and some covers, including surprisingly Becks ‘Tropicalia’ and brilliantly Bob Marleys ‘Jammin’.

Lead-off track ‘Running’ is a great start to proceedings, with a strong swaying groove that works its way into your subconscious. The afore-mentioned ‘Jammin’ meanwhile is madeover into a high-energy number, which could potentially have tipped into bad karaoke, but in these skilled hands it becomes an awesome, and respectful, tribute.

The classic ‘Oye Como Va’ comes with a sexy vibe courtesy of Elias’ sultry vocals, and the soft and sensual ‘Segredos’ is an album highlight with its defined pulsating rhythm. But it is probably ‘Slideshow’ that is the pure gem of this album. Beautifully sung lyrics meld with the catchy flamenco guitars and handclaps that conjure up the perfect image of the cliffside roads winding their way to some mysterious sun drenched beach.

Everywhere on this album is the smouldering rhythm of Brazil, while still maintaining a strong night-time jazz feel with her superb piano work and warm vocals. The stellar ‘Segredos’ makes a welcome return as a closing reprise, revamped into a more jazz-tinged piece and again, Eliane Elias has delivered her own music on her own terms and the results are as always well worth the listen.

****