Eliane Elias—An Internationally Acclaimed Brazilian Pianist/Singer/Songwriter

I stumbled upon a rare gem, Eliane Elias, a couple of years ago while listening to the Internet radio on LastFM.com.   I instantly loved her voice and styling as a Brazilian jazz singer and immediately ordered a couple of her albums.  After listening to multiple tracks, I chose to add “Around the City” and “Dreamer” to my personal CD collection, and they are among my favorites. 

Primarily a pianist, Elias was a child prodigy who studied at Brazil’s renowned Free Center of Music Apprenticeship.  She then toured with Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes, who co-wrote as a lyricist with Antonio Carlos Jobim.  Moraes and Jobim were forerunners of the bossa nova movement and greatly influenced Elias.  She later moved to New York where she studied privately at the Julliard School of Music and then joined a jazz fusion group called Steps Ahead.  She eventually added singing to her skill set and launched her solo career.

Elias has received awards from many countries and has been especially popular in Brazil, the U.S., Denmark, France, and Japan.  Many recordings from her 27 albums have reached number one on the charts internationally.





Videos:
Eliane Elias - They Can't Take That Away from Me - MNE Video
Eliane Elias - You and the Night and the Music - YouTube Video
Eliane Elias - Jamming YouTube Video
Eliane Elias - Oye Como Va - YouTube
Eliane Elias - Jet Samba - YouTube Video

Albums/Tracks:
Eliane Elias - Albums - LastFM.com

Sources:
Eliane Elias - Biography - Wikipedia.org
Eliane Elias - Biography - Allaboutjazz.com
Eliane Elias - Biography - LastFM.com

Keith Jarrett—An Ingenious World-Class Jazz and Classical Pianist/Composer

Keith Jarrett is one of the greatest jazz pianists in history, and I consider him a true inspiration.  His technique probably surpasses that of any jazz artist I’ve ever heard, and his overall accomplishments as a musician are astonishing.  Focusing on jazz and classical music, he has a delicate, expressive touch while playing ballads, yet demonstrates his virtuosity with full force during his free-jazz performances. He is especially renowned for his impromptu improvisations at concerts, many of which are recorded as albums.  He is a versatile musician who, besides piano, plays a variety of instruments, including: soprano saxophone, organ, drums and the melodica.  He has even sung on some recordings.  More importantly, he is a serious composer.

Jarrett, who has perfect pitch, showed signs of his extraordinary musical gifts at an early age and started taking piano lessons when he was two years old.  By age seven, he performed his original compositions at a solo concert.  He later attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

Having gained notoriety while performing with Miles Davis during the 1960s, Jarrett has recorded numerous successful album projects with a variety of groups.  Over the years, he has had some of the best-selling recordings in history.  Remarkably, he has been recorded on at least 116 group or solo albums.

In 2003, Jarrett received Sweden’s Polar Music Prize (the equivalent of the Nobel Prize), and, in 2004, he received Denmark’s Léonie Sonning Music Prize.  He later performed at Carnegie Hall in both 2005 and 2011.  More recenty, in 2008, he was instated into Down Beat magazine's Hall of Fame by the 73rd Annual Reader's Poll.

A brilliant artist who performs a wide variety of genres, Jarrett has broad appeal to diverse audiences, ranging from the typical listener seeking pleasant background music to the intellectual who enjoys listening comprehensively to complex improvisations and compositions.  Below are links to a few videos which depict his different styles so you can decide which you prefer.  As for me, I own a couple of his albums and especially enjoy his "Tokyo '96 (Live)" CD.

Videos:
Keith Jarrett - "All the Things You Are" - YouTube Video
Keith Jarrett - "Last Solo," Tokyo '84 Encore - YouTube Video
Keith Jarrett - "One Day I'll Fly Away" - YouTube Video
Keith Jarrett - "La Scala" - YouTube Video

Keith Jarrett - Videosurf.com - Various Videos

Albums/Tracks:
http://www.last.fm/music/Keith+Jarrett/+albums

Source:
Wikipedia.org

The Multidimensional Maureen McGovern

The one word I would use to describe Maureen McGovern is flawless.  She made her debut with the number one hit, “The Morning After,” released in 1973, and has delivered impeccable performances as a recording and concert artist throughout her career. Although primarily a singer, she has also starred as a singer/actress on Broadway and has composed music in collaboration with lyricists.  She has been nominated for Grammys and two of her gold records have won Oscars.

McGovern is a multifaceted artist that can perform a diverse range of genres, including: pop, cabaret, jazz and Broadway.  As a coloratura soprano with a four-octave range, she sings with superb technique, and her colorful phrasing and use of dynamics elevates the simplest of songs to a refined status that would intrigue even the most sophisticated music connoisseur.  

As part of my collection, I have enjoyed her vocal/piano CD, "Another Woman in Love," ― McGovern’s personal favorite and especially appreciate the phenomenal piano accompaniment by jazz pianist Mike Renzi. I’m looking forward to buying more of McGovern's CDs, such as “The Music Never Ends,” a tribute to lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and “Out of This World,” a tribute to Harold Arlen.

YouTube Video

Maureen McGovern Biography - Wikipedia.org

Harold Arlen - Official site

Alan and Marilyn Bergman - Official site

Maureen McGovern - Official Site (Album tracks)

Featuring Eva Cassidy

Welcome to my new blog.  As a pianist/songwriter, my purpose is to share music I enjoy with you, hoping you enjoy it as well.  I will be posting information on various artists and songs, my reviews, and links.

First, I'd like to spotlight Eva Cassidy, a talented singer who became famous after her death from cancer at the age of 33 in 1996.  Her album, "Songbird," which included her beautiful rendition of "Over the Rainbow," hit number one on the UK charts in 2001.  Written by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg (or Yip Harburg), "Over the Rainbow" was incidentally named the number one song of the 20th Century by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2001. 

Eva Cassidy performed effortlessly, with clarity and free-flowing phrasing.  With understated melancholy, her tender voice surprisingly peaked with powerful expression. She originated melodic variations of well-chosen standards with simple ingenuity and was able to perform selections from a wide variety of genres ranging from the nostalgic to unleashed rhythm and blues. Overall, she unpretentiously connected on a personal level, and, ultimately, left others wanting more.

Videos:
Over the Rainbow - Eva Cassidy - YouTube video
Take Me to the River - Eva Cassidy - YouTube
Fields of Gold - Eva Cassidy - YouTube Video

Albums/Tracks:
Eva Cassidy - Albums/Tracks - LastFm.com

Sources:
Eva Cassidy Biography - Wikipedia.org
Over the Rainbow - Wikipedia.org