| Spotlight customer reviews: |
|
Customer Rating: 
Summary: The Best Pianist Who Sings
Comment: I was not a big fan of Eliane Elias' "Dreamer," so I bought this c.d. with some trepidation. It has received really good reviews; would I be wrong to buck the tide?
As it turns out, I'm not bucking the tide. This c.d. proves a basic point: Eliane Elias is the best pianist who sings. That's not to say she's the best singer who plays piano: I'd vote for Diana Krall on that score. And it's not to say she's the best singer/pianist: I'd vote for Andy Bey, but with a special nod to Patricia Barber.
I review singers; but Eliane Elias is such a fabulous pianist here that I can't (and shouldn't) get past that point.
She has chosen to tribute Bill Evans, and I can't think of a better musician to do so. For one, she's married to Marc Johnson, who plays bass here and was Evans' last bassist (before Evans died in 1980). And as such, the c.d. ends stunningly, with a "bootleg tape" of Evans (which Mr. Johnson has been holding on to, all of these years) playing "Here is Something For You." Eliane picks up in the middle of the song where Bill ends off, and except for the recording quality sound and absence of Evans' "grunts of joy," sounds just like him.
But for two, Bill Evans is probably the most influential jazz pianist of all. Nobody played more lyrically, and nobody played chords more lyrically, than Bill Evans. And in this respect, Eliane Elias sounds just like Bill Evans. She's not derivative; you can't "copy" Bill Evans. Rather, she has captured his spirit like none other. Eliane Elias has truly channeled Bill Evans in this recording.
Take for example "Five" (Track 6). This sounds amazingly like Thelonious Monk; but where Monk would play angularly and percussively, Ms. Elias - like Mr. Evans - plays it smoothly, roundly, with harmonies washing over.
Ms. Elias' singing isn't quite up to her piano playing, but that's for two primary reasons: 1) For the most part, she is singing English translations, when her native tongue is not English. As such, the phrasing sounds "stiff," as in "singing in syllables," rather than "singing in phrases." Ms. Elias fares best on "Minha," when she sings in her native Portuguese. 2) She is just so good on piano, that her singing can't compare. She's a better singer than Bill Evans, that's for sure! As I said, call her "the best pianist who sings," and let it go at that. RC
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Nice, nice, nice.
Comment: A really nice album from Elaine. She handles Bill's tunes with great touch and feeling, but with her own personality. The only negative I have is that I wish she had included more of Bill's tunes and less Brazil. But, overall a wonderful addition to anyone's jazz piano collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: ELIANE ELIAS
Comment: WHAT A TALENT! A GREAT SINGER, AND A FABULOUS JAZZ PIANIST ALSO - MOVE OVER DIANA KRALL!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of the best tributes to Bill Evans
Comment: There are two tributes that I highly recommend for Bill Evans fans. One is by Paul Motian simply titled Bill Evans with Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, and Marc Johson. And the other is this release by Elaine Elias. Elias weaves through a nice mix of three Evans originals rarely heard plus several standards, such as But Not For Me. It was also very nice to hear certain songs with lyrics, such as Detour Ahead. I loved the precision which Bill Evans played this song. It was especially nice to hear the song to both music and words. Elias also sounds really close to Bill Evans on some of the slower cuts. Overall, this is an extremely nice CD. I just wished I could have heard RE: Person I Knew which was released only on the Japanese version of this CD.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Another great album
Comment: Even though I'm not crazy about her voice, she does a credible job on the few numbers in this album that have vocals. All the songs, however, are wonderful instrumentals. She plays a great jazz piano and has really fine musicians to back her. I enjoyed her song selection, too.
|
|
|
