March 7, 2019
Eliane Elias is such a fine hard bop/post-bop pianist that it is a pity that she occasionally feels compelled to vocalize; her singing voice is small, quiet, and unimpressive. However, other than her brief vocals on “The Beat of My Heart,” “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” and “Blah Blah Blah,” this is a strong trio set. Elias interacts with either the bass-drum team of Marc Johnson and Jack DeJohnette or Christian McBride and Carl Allen, with guitarist Rodney Jones just popping up briefly on one song. Elias’ playing is often introspective, but always very expressive and she swings hard on the faster pieces. She is one of the underrated greats of the jazz piano. ~ Scott Yanow
