Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(23 customer reviews) 7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Not As Bad As the Purists Would Have You Believe,
February 9, 2007 dwood78 (Long Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Around The City (Audio CD)
Having own Elias' 2004 LP "Dreamer", I too was surprised at the musical shift on this LP.
However, the question here is not rather or not it fits the narrow-minded view of jazz purists, but is a good LP? Here the answer is yes.
While the title track & "Oye Como Va" may have to grow on me, the rest of the CD is great. Try listening to "Running" or her version of Bob Marley's "Jamming" without moving your head or getting up to dance.
Elaine is also writing more, as she wrote or co-wrote many of the songs on this disc. She's still showing off her chows as a jazz pianist & there's still lots of brazilian jazz/bossa nova present (& even flamenco-favors with "Slide Show").
Bottom line, the purists should go elsewhere if they want nothing but standards, but the rest of us will enjoy this disc.
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
She's so much better than this,
October 4, 2006 gottahaveajava (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Around The City (Audio CD)
Updated May 8, 2007
Breaking boundaries doesn't by itself automatically equate with true innovation or quality.
The fields of jazz are littered with failed attempts to break boundaries. The reason we don't hear them that often is that they've been buried in the cosmic bit bucket where they belong. After all, when was the last time you heard the Duke Ellington and Count Basie tributes to the Beatles? Or Stan Getz playing "Marrakesh Express." Or, for that matter, Paul McCartney as a symphonist. Indisputably great artists making ill-advised choices in an attempt to widen their audiences, or to be taken more seriously, or whatever.
There's no question that Eliane is breaking out and exploring new avenues on this album. Some of the reviewers have made the dubious claim that because it's different, it's automatically better. They also make the claim that the reason her loyal fans hate it is because they're just old squares who can't keep up with an artist...Read more
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Sophisticated smooth jazz,
March 2, 2007 Gregg Wagener - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Around The City (Audio CD)
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,...Read more
