Smoky, Masterful
Elaine Elias redoes Jobim SO WELL. Just the thing to play when you're a bit down or having dinner with your baby, and every song sounds fresh every time you play it. And the piano playing is sublime.

GET THIS ALBUM.

Pianist? YES! Singer? --HARDLY!

Whoever told Ms. Elias that she should sing MUST have been pulling
her lovely leg. While no one who knows music, esp. jazz, would
question her instrumental chops, singing should be left to those
whose years of training and dues-paying performance work has
resulted in audience-worthy renditions of great and memorable
tunes.
Hasn't anyone noticed that the American Idol wannabe's, when they
flunk their auditions, will argue tooth-and-nail that they are
"great singers"? They don't have the talent to become recorded
singers. Neither does Ms. Elias, despite her pianistic expertise.

That annoying little buzz . . .
Elias' strength here--as in all her albums--is her keyboard work; very few match her command of the instrument, her intensity, fluency and arranging of the Jobim songbook. Notwithstanding the superb blending with her accompanists, her vocals are the most disappointing. Were this a purely instrumental CD, this would be an easy A+. Sounding more tentative than confident, the vocals are barely audible, and at times, incoherent, making this a frustrating listen for me--like the gnats that ruin an otherwise marvelous summer picnic, I keep swatting at the vocals! The two exceptions being the guitar/vocal interplay with Castro-Neves on "Falando de Amor" and "One Note Samba." Otherwise, musicianship is what carries the album: fine accompaniment, great arrangements, forgettable vocals!

Exellent music to make love by...
This is a romantic album! Elias' vocals are smooth, and her piano playign skills are second to none on a jazz level. These are fine verisons of bossa novas classics. Her piano and vocals both swing, yet so gently. Great music!

Elegant, Classy, A great Album
Eliane Elias put together a terrific band, including Michael Brecker, Oscar Castro-Neves (producer as well) and Marc Johnson to make this outstanding recording.

It's an elegant, classy, swinging album of Johim favorites that just doesn't have any weaknesses. Elias' singing and piano playing are especially beautiful on the ballads, but she and her band also really swing and groove on the uptempo tunes.

If you're a fan of the Brasilian genre you must own this side. If you want a great album to help set a romantic mood, this is one to have. Or, if you're a jazz fan, interested in all idioms of the music, it's a contemporary essential.