Eliane Elias Music

Denyce's warm and sensual Mezzo voice is truly spectacular when she sings the right rep. This latin album is literally right up her lane. She brings a dark color to the pieces that accentuates the text and the instrumentation. The singing is remarkably beautiful and the musicians play with an entrancing groove that makes you feel warm all over. I recommend just listening to this album while sitting outside in a park on a warm and sunny day. I believe that you will see the world completely differently. Way to go Denyce!!!

This record is exquisite in all its elements: the Voice of Graves -voice with a capital V!-, the selections, the arrangements! For me it would take hours to try to decipher its mystery of seduction. A real must for those who love poetry, music and the marriage of both. A real must for lovers of Latin American music. A real must for the senses.
The first time I listened to the cd, it gave a jolt.
A lot has been said about Graves. She's a wonderful mezzo, with that rich black timbre in her low notes and her lovely lyric high ones. And never mind the language, she knows how to create magic around her.
However, although she's supposed to be the main attraction here, to me the composers steal the show from her.
I've been listening to good music, from opera to streetside, for decades now. And I had never heard anything like Plancha or Plomada, by Guastavino. They're simply astounding.
The Cubans come out very well. Their songs are simply irressistible. They own the gift of melody and harmony. Soledad is unforgettable.
But what haunts me the most is Milonga sin palabras. What a piece of art!

Denyce Graves es una mezzo de voz carnosa, sensual, evocadora. En este disco de canciones en español y en portugués, la cantante hace lujo de una voz opulenta, muy femenina y de gran pasión. Las canciones están muy bien escogidas y los arreglos son de muy buen gusto. Desde mi perspectiva, la mezzo está más cómoda con el material en español, que resulta ser dominante en el disco, y la dicción es muy clara, lo que es admirable en una cantante de origen e idioma tan separados de la cultura latina. Sin embargo, aunque la dicción es muy clara, la principal falla de esta grabación es también el idioma mismo. Denyce Graves de pronto inicia con un español más que deseable y luego, de pronto, se atropella, dejándo una sensación de insatisfacción en el oyente; pensemos en "Los pájaros perdidos" (uno de los puntos más fuertes del disco) que empieza con una claridad y belleza admirables, que luego, en la parte central de la canción, se pierden cuando la cantante da algunos tropiezos con las palabras. Lo mismo ocurre con la primera pista de "Maria de Buenos Aires": en algunos pasajes la voz es muy clara, pero conforme adquiere fuerza y velocidad, se evidencia el trabajo no resuelto del idioma... pero a esto cabría agregar, a manera de disculpa, que lo mismo ocurre con las cantantes hispanas de ópera...

El disco muestra material conocido y añade algunas canciones prácticamente inéditas (donde se incluye una compuesta para la cantante), y en términos generales, Denyce Graves sale muy bien librada.

Francamente yo recomiendo mucho este disco, más que por otra cosa, por el lujo de escuchar una voz tan opulenta y seductora haciéndose cargo de estas canciones.

Okay, let me say up front, that of my several CD's of this fascinating woman, Dreamer is my favorite. But, about this one I have to say, I enjoy it just as much when I'm in the mood for this sort of vibe! On whatever disc, you just have to love her piano and her whispery, sultry delivery of lyrics. I suppose that if you only like one dimension from any of your favorite artists, this does stray too far away from her Jobim, Bossa roots. But, how can we expect any artist to do the same thing over and over and not want to jump out of his or her skin? If I don't want to be pigeon-holed in life, I have to allow musicians to follow their instincts and interests as well. We all need to stretch in new ways from time to time. Sometimes the stretch pays off and everyone is happy; other times it gets chalked up to self-expression only. Whatever. I feel this collection is a good one. It may not be what you turn to Elias to hear, but hey, I still think it's more than worthy of my money and ears. Enjoy it, stretch a bit or simply wish her well on her own musical journey!

This Cd is Excellent! Exhale, where do I begin....

It to me is a journey into the mind & emotion's of a musical genious. It display's level's of expression from happy, to saucy, exciting rythmic sensation, to just plain ole' classic sensual.

I can listen to it from beginning to end, enraptured in complete & utter melodic satisfaction.

At a gathering I had, my guest's were constantly asking me, who is that!!
~ ~
\_/

It has turned me into a (New) Eliane Elias fan, and
I have since seeked, and discovered more jewels in her lair!

If you enjoy journying into multipul levels of musical expression at it's best, then may I suggest you give this a listen....

Peace,
Cheriee

I bought this CD a year ago; listened to it once and it's been collecting dust since. I've put off writing a review because I have so much respect for Eliane I'm afraid I might hurt her feelings!
Clearly Ms. Elias is one of the most gifted pianist of our time. Listen to her release with Herbie Hancock, and he has to really focus to keep up with her. Her singing is incredibly sensual (check out her performance of 'Dreamer' on youtube). The arc of her career shows one who has shifted over the years, so at some point she would reach a stage that would be 180 degrees from where she began. One reviewer remarked that she is good at everything. However, being good at everything doesn't mean you should try everything. I am personally open to her branching out - as did Hancock. 'Chameleon' was as different from 'Maiden Voyage' as could be - but 'Chameleon' was groundbreaking and of the highest quality. 'Around the City' is not. Too slick, too trendy, too 'Starbucksy'. If she is looking for new fans I'm sure she succeeded, but probably at the cost of some old ones.

As soon as I listened to this CD while driving to work this morning, I thought "Oh well, I just threw some money down the toilet with this CD".
I have almost every Elias album out there--> seen her many times etc... This is definitely her most boring, bland, perhaps commercial CD out there. It's extremely dissapointing and frankly perplexing to see how such an incredible musician can turn out such boredom.

Billboard Spotlight Review
August 14, 2006

Eliane Elias - Around The City
Producers: Eliane Elias, Andres Levin, Lester Mendez
RCA Victor
Release date: Aug 22

On "Around The City", pianist Elias assigns the keys a back seat in support of her alluring, sensuous vocals sung in English and Portuguese. The Brazil-born, New York-based Elias has played the singer card before in her 18-album career, but nothing like this outing, where she delivers a spellbinding meld of pop, Brazillian and Latin music with a jazz sensibility. Her pianistic excursions arrive sporadically and deeper into the 13-song collection, including a fine run in "A Vizinha Do Lado". But upfront is where "Around The City" enraptures, beginning with the spirited original "Running", and continuing with a bossa-steeped take on Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va" and later a sultry swing through Beck's "Tropicalia". Standout track: Elias' jazzy spin on Bob Marley's "Jammin'" with loops, trumpet ornamentation and a piano sprint, all girded to earth with speedy grooves by two drummers.

[...]

Okay, let me say up front, that of my several CD's of this fascinating woman, Dreamer is my favorite. But, about this one I have to say, I enjoy it just as much when I'm in the mood for this sort of vibe! On whatever disc, you just have to love her piano and her whispery, sultry delivery of lyrics. I suppose that if you only like one dimension from any of your favorite artists, this does stray too far away from her Jobim, Bossa roots. But, how can we expect any artist to do the same thing over and over and not want to jump out of his or her skin? If I don't want to be pigeon-holed in life, I have to allow musicians to follow their instincts and interests as well. We all need to stretch in new ways from time to time. Sometimes the stretch pays off and everyone is happy; other times it gets chalked up to self-expression only. Whatever. I feel this collection is a good one. It may not be what you turn to Elias to hear, but hey, I still think it's more than worthy of my money and ears. Enjoy it, stretch a bit or simply wish her well on her own musical journey!

This Cd is Excellent! Exhale, where do I begin....

It to me is a journey into the mind & emotion's of a musical genious. It display's level's of expression from happy, to saucy, exciting rythmic sensation, to just plain ole' classic sensual.

I can listen to it from beginning to end, enraptured in complete & utter melodic satisfaction.

At a gathering I had, my guest's were constantly asking me, who is that!!
~ ~
\_/

It has turned me into a (New) Eliane Elias fan, and
I have since seeked, and discovered more jewels in her lair!

If you enjoy journying into multipul levels of musical expression at it's best, then may I suggest you give this a listen....

Peace,
Cheriee

I bought this CD a year ago; listened to it once and it's been collecting dust since. I've put off writing a review because I have so much respect for Eliane I'm afraid I might hurt her feelings!
Clearly Ms. Elias is one of the most gifted pianist of our time. Listen to her release with Herbie Hancock, and he has to really focus to keep up with her. Her singing is incredibly sensual (check out her performance of 'Dreamer' on youtube). The arc of her career shows one who has shifted over the years, so at some point she would reach a stage that would be 180 degrees from where she began. One reviewer remarked that she is good at everything. However, being good at everything doesn't mean you should try everything. I am personally open to her branching out - as did Hancock. 'Chameleon' was as different from 'Maiden Voyage' as could be - but 'Chameleon' was groundbreaking and of the highest quality. 'Around the City' is not. Too slick, too trendy, too 'Starbucksy'. If she is looking for new fans I'm sure she succeeded, but probably at the cost of some old ones.

As soon as I listened to this CD while driving to work this morning, I thought "Oh well, I just threw some money down the toilet with this CD".
I have almost every Elias album out there--> seen her many times etc... This is definitely her most boring, bland, perhaps commercial CD out there. It's extremely dissapointing and frankly perplexing to see how such an incredible musician can turn out such boredom.

Billboard Spotlight Review
August 14, 2006

Eliane Elias - Around The City
Producers: Eliane Elias, Andres Levin, Lester Mendez
RCA Victor
Release date: Aug 22

On "Around The City", pianist Elias assigns the keys a back seat in support of her alluring, sensuous vocals sung in English and Portuguese. The Brazil-born, New York-based Elias has played the singer card before in her 18-album career, but nothing like this outing, where she delivers a spellbinding meld of pop, Brazillian and Latin music with a jazz sensibility. Her pianistic excursions arrive sporadically and deeper into the 13-song collection, including a fine run in "A Vizinha Do Lado". But upfront is where "Around The City" enraptures, beginning with the spirited original "Running", and continuing with a bossa-steeped take on Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va" and later a sultry swing through Beck's "Tropicalia". Standout track: Elias' jazzy spin on Bob Marley's "Jammin'" with loops, trumpet ornamentation and a piano sprint, all girded to earth with speedy grooves by two drummers.

[...]