On the heels of her successful Eliane Elias Plays Jobim comes this new outing, and it is a winner. Elias’s touch on the keyboard is gentle and deliberate, making every note count and never letting one go to waste. But that delightful touch that she projects with such seeming ease also shines in the swing department. Her reading of “So Danso Samba,” for example, is a great example of how she can deftly turn up the wick and have a ball.
And her voice is every bit up to the challenge of Tom Jobim’s glorious music. Soft and velvety, her Portuguese is a treat to listen to as she delves into this music she obviously loves, treating it with empathy and feeling, and backed by a great band.
Joining her are Marc Johnson on bass, Michael Brecker, naturally, on tenor, and Brazilian colleagues Paulo Braga, one of Jobim’s longest serving durmmers, and guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves.
Elias does herself proud as a singer, and her playing is straight from the heart.
Eliane Elias: Eliane Elias Sings Jobim
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