Eliane Elias
BrowseBiography.com, 20 November 2011; retrieved 10 September 2014. is a Brazilian

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

pianist, singer, composer and arranger.

Biography

Elias was born in São Paulo, Brazil on 19 March 1960. She started studying piano when she was seven, and at age twelve she was transcribing solos from jazz musicians. She began teaching piano when she was fifteen, and began performing at seventeen with Brazilian singer-songwriter

Toquinho Antônio Pecci Filho (born July 6, 1946), better known as Toquinho (), is a Brazilian singer and guitarist. He is well known for his collaborations, as composer and performer, with Vinicius de Moraes. Childhood and musical studies Toquinho was b ...

and touring with the poet

Vinicius de Moraes Marcus Vinícius da Cruz e Mello Moraes (19 October 1913 – 9 July 1980), better known as Vinícius de Moraes () and nicknamed O Poetinha ("The little poet"), was a Brazilian poet, diplomat, lyricist, essayist, musician, singer, and playwrigh ...

. In 1981 she moved to New York City, where she attended

The Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

of Music. A year later she became part of the group Steps Ahead. In 1993 Elias signed with

EMI Classics EMI Classics was a record label founded by Thorn EMI in 1990 to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogues for internationally distributed classical music releases. After Thorn EMI demerged in 1996, its recorded mus ...

to record classical pieces, which were released on ''On the Classical Side''. In 2001, ''Calle 54'', a documentary film by Spanish director Fernando Trueba, included Elias performing "Samba Triste." In 2002 she recorded ''The Lost Days'' with Denyce Graves, for whom she wrote a composition entitled "HaabiaTupi." In 2002, Elias signed with RCA/Bluebird, which issued ''Kissed by Nature''. ''Dreamer'' was released in 2004 and received the Gold Disc Award, as well as being voted Best Vocal Album in Japan. It reached No. 3 on the pop charts in France and No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' magazine charts in the U.S. ''Around the City'' was released by RCA Victor in August 2006. In 2007, Elias released ''Something for You'', which won Best Vocal Album of the Year and the Gold Disc Award in Japan. ''Something for You'' reached No. 1 on the U.S. jazz charts, No. 8 on ''Billboard'', and No. 2 on the French jazz charts. In 2008, she recorded '' Bossa Nova Stories'' to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bossa nova. In 2009, EMI Japan released ''Eliane Elias Plays Live''. ''Light My Fire'', released in 2011, features four compositions written or co-written by Elias and includes covers of songs by the Doors, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Desmond. In September 2011, her song "What About the Heart (Bate Bate)" was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the category of Best Brazilian Song. In 2012 she collaborated with bassist Marc Johnson on the album ''Swept Away'', the Editor's and Critic's choice in 2012 ''Downbeat'' and ''Jazztimes'' magazines, respectively. Her 2013 release, ''I Thought About You'', reached No. 1 on the U.S. and French Amazon.com websites; No. 2 on iTunes U.S., France and Brazil; and No. 4 on ''Billboard''. ''Made in Brazil'', was followed by ''Dance of Time'', which debuted at No. 1 on two ''Billboard'': jazz and world music. Both ''Made in Brazil'' and ''Dance of Time'' debuted at No. 1 on iTunes in seven countries and won Grammy awards for Best Latin Jazz Album of the Year. Her 2019 album ''

Love Stories Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

'' reached the #1 position as Best Seller Amazon.com Latin Jazz, #1 Best Seller Amazon.com Brazilian Jazz and #2 Best Seller Amazon.com Orchestral. Her 2021 album ''Mirror, Mirror'', which she recorded with

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

and Chucho Valdès, won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album.

Personal life

Elias is Brazilian of Italian and Spanish descent. She was married to American trumpeter Randy Brecker, with whom she has a daughter, the singer/songwriter Amanda Elias Brecker, born in 1984. She is married to Marc Johnson, who plays bass in her band and co-produces her recordings.

Awards

* 1995: Grammy nomination, Best Jazz Solo Performance, ''Solos and Duets'' with Herbie Hancock * 1997: Best Jazz Album, ''DownBeat'' magazine Readers' Poll, ''The Three Americas'' * 1998: Grammy nomination, Best Large Jazz Ensemble, ''Impulsive'' with Bob Brookmeyer and The Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra * 2002: Grammy nomination, Best Latin Jazz Album, ''Calle 54'' * 2011: Latin Grammy nomination, Best Brazilian Song, ''What About the Heart (Bate Bate)'' * 2015: Latin Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, ''Made in Brazil'' * 2016: Grammy Award winner for Best Latin Jazz Album, ''Made in Brazil'' * 2017: Latin Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, ''Dance of Time'' *

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

: Latin Grammy Award winner for Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album, ''Dance of Time'' *2018: Winner of the Edison Lifetime Achievement Award (Holland) *Five times Gold Disc Awards (Japan) * 2019 Masterpiece award "Love Stories" (5 stars by "DownBeat" magazine) * 2021 Masterpiece award "Mirror Mirror" (5 stars by "DownBeat" magazine) * 2022: Grammy Award winner for Best Latin Jazz Album, ''Mirror Mirror''

Discography

As leader

* ''

Amanda Amanda is a Latin feminine gerundive (i.e. verbal adjective) name meaning, literally, “she who must (or is fit to) be loved”. Other translations, with similar meaning, could be "deserving to be loved," "worthy of love," or "loved very much b ...

'' with Randy Brecker ( Passport Jazz, 1985) * '' Illusions'' (

Denon is a Japanese electronics company started in 1910 by Frederick Whitney Horn, an American entrepreneur. Denon produced the first cylinder audio media in Japan and players to play them. Decades later, Denon was involved in the early stages of de ...

, 1987) * '' Cross Currents'' (Denon, 1988) * '' So Far So Close'' ( Blue Note, 1989) * '' Eliane Elias Plays Jobim'' (Blue Note, 1990) * '' A Long Story'' (

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, 1991) * ''

Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcor ...

'' (Blue Note, 1992) * '' On the Classical Side'' (

, 1993) * '' Paulistana'' (Blue Note, 1994) * '' Solos and Duets'' with Herbie Hancock (Blue Note, 1995) * ''

The Three Americas ''The Three Americas'' is the eleventh studio album by Brazilian jazz artist Eliane Elias. The record was released in 1996 via Blue Note label. The name of the album is explained by Elias in the notes:"My intention for this recording is not onl ...

'' (Blue Note, 1997) * '' Impulsive!'' with

Bob Brookmeyer Robert Edward "Bob" Brookmeyer (December 19, 1929 – December 15, 2011) was an American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Brookmeyer first gained widespread public attention as a member of G ...

Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish an ...

(

Stunt A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery sp ...

, 1997) * '' Eliane Elias Sings Jobim'' (Blue Note, 1998) * '' Everything I Love'' (Blue Note, 2000) * '' Kissed by Nature'' (

Bluebird The bluebirds are a North American group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the order of Passerines in the genus ''Sialia'' of the thrush family (Turdidae). Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. ...

, 2002) * '' Brazilian Classics'' (Blue Note, 2003) * '' Dreamer'' (Bluebird, 2004) * '' Around the City'' (

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

, 2006) * '' Something for You: Eliane Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans'' (Blue Note, 2007) * '' Bossa Nova Stories'' (Blue Note, 2008) * '' Eliane Elias Plays Live'' (Blue Note, 2009) * '' Light My Fire'' (Concord Picante, 2011) * '' Swept Away'' with Marc Johnson (ECM, 2012) * ''

I Thought About You "I Thought About You" is a 1939 popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. Background It was one of three collaborations Van Heusen and Mercer wrote for the Mercer-Morris publishing company started by Mercer and form ...

'' (

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the ...

, 2013) * '' Made in Brazil'' (Concord Jazz, 2015) * '' Dance of Time'' (Concord Jazz, 2017) * '' Music from Man of La Mancha'' (Concord Jazz, 2018) * ''

'' (Concord Jazz, 2019) * '' Mirror Mirror'' with Chick Corea and Chucho Valdés (Candid, 2021) * '' Quietude'' (Candid, 2022) With Steps Ahead * '' Steps Ahead'' (Elektra Musician, 1983) * ''Holding Together'' (NYC, 2002)

As guest

Brecker Brothers The Brecker Brothers were a jazz fusion music duo consisting of siblings Michael and Randy. Michael played saxophone, flute, and EWI, and Randy played trumpet and flugelhorn. The brothers attended Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, Pennsylvan ...

, '' Out of the Loop'' (GRP, 1994) * Urszula Dudziak, ''Sorrow Is Not Forever...But Love Is'' (Keytone, 1983) * Peter Erskine, ''Motion Poet'' (Denon, 1988) * Michael Franks, ''

Abandoned Garden ''Abandoned Garden'' is an album by American vocalist Michael Franks. Released in 1995 by Warner Bros. Records, it was Franks' thirteenth studio album and his final album of new material with Warner Bros. Background The album is a dedication to ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1995) * Denyce Graves, ''The Lost Days'' ( BMG, 2002) *

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

, '' Double Rainbow: The Music of Antonio Carlos Jobim'' (Verve, 1995) * Toninho Horta, ''Moonstone'' (Verve Forecast, 1989) * Marc Johnson, '' Shades of Jade'' (ECM, 2005) * Ivo Perelman, ''Ivo'' (King, 1989) * Andy Summers, '' World Gone Strange'' (Private Music, 1991) * Toots Thielemans, ''The Brasil Project'' (Private Music, 1992) * Toots Thielemans, ''The Brasil Project Vol. 2'' (Private Music, 1993) * Ornella Vanoni, ''Ornella &...'' (CGD, 1986)

References

External links

* – official site *
Eliane Elias on
'' Piano Jazz'' * – interview, along with her husband Marc Johnson {{DEFAULTSORT:Elias, Eliane 1960 births Living people Brazilian jazz singers Latin jazz pianists Post-bop pianists Brazilian people of Lebanese descent Brazilian jazz pianists Grammy Award winners Musicians from São Paulo Women jazz pianists Concord Bicycle Music artists Latin music composers Latin Grammy Award winners 21st-century pianists Steps Ahead members Women in Latin music 21st-century women pianists