Eliane Elias

Eliane Elias never stops looking for ways to fashion her Brazilian roots into new avenues of expression to entice the ear. Since her appearance on the North American music scene as part of Mike Mainieri's Steps Ahead, Elias has forged her own path, becoming one of Brazil's best-known and respected musical exports. In mixing the influences of the American modern jazz canon with classical music and the rhythmic underpinnings of Brazilian samba, Elias' intriguing musical insights reveal an emotive composer whose warm and intimate vocals stand in dynamic contrast to the muscular and imaginative piano work that is her trademark. Her most recent CD is I Thought About You: A Tribute To Chet Baker (Concord Jazz).