Eliane Elias is one of the most glorious, distinguished jazz vocalists of our lifetimes. She’s complied 32 albums with eleven Grammy and Latin Grammy nominations with two Grammys and two Latin Grammy Award wins to date. Time and Again has been nominated for another Grammy in the Best Latin Jazz Album category to be announced early next year.
I’ve been a listener and fan of this wonderful Brazilian artist sing she arrived in New York in the early 1980s. Initially, I was drawn in when Eliane was a member of the cutting edge band Steps Ahead which was formed by and included Michael and Randy Brecker as well as Mike Mainieri (vibes), Mike Stern (guitar), Steve Gadd (drums) and a large rotating cast of music luminaries. (I guess this format interested me long before Snarky Puppy!).
On Time and Again, there’s a mix of English and Portuguese vocals, as expected and each song is equally inviting. Eliane, simply stated, has an amazing, distinctive voice and style that just is so soothingly soft and silky. The album is very upbeat and I find it a great de-stresser, equally warm a home, on a long drive or even for workout time.
I’ve been listening to this one since it came out earlier this year and finally am putting my thoughts together on this album. Let’s hope Eliane wins another Grammy! Here’s my track by track coverage.
IT’S TIME FOR TIME AND AGAIN!–the highly-anticipated new recording by world-renowned Brazilian pianist, composer and vocalist Eliane Elias. TIME AND AGAIN gives us Elias’ unique blend of her Brazilian roots and mastery of jazz, R&B and popular song. The album marks her third recording for Candid Records and is available on vinyl, CD and all streaming platforms.
Produced by Eliane with her long-standing team of Marc Johnson and Steve Rodby TIME AND AGAIN showcases Elias’ exceptional songwriting with 8 original compositions. Featured musicians on the album include guitarists Conrado Goys, Marcus Teixeira and Daniel Santiago, along with Marc Johnson on acoustic bass, Marcelo Mariano on electric bass, and drummers Edu Ribeiro and Cuca Teixeira. Guest artists include vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, drummer Peter Erskine, the exceptional guitarist Bill Frisell, percussionists Marivaldo dos Santos and Davi Vieira, and the background vocals of Mark Kibble. Eliane first invited Mark Kibble, the arranger for Take 6 on her 2015 GRAMMY winning album Made in Brazil. “For TIME AND AGAIN Mark created background vocals on 6 of the 8 songs. I really feel we have a special affinity in the music and together, we’ve created a very unique sound,” says Eliane.
Buy Or Stream Time and Again Here
Track By Track
At First Sight is a lush, upbeat, danceable tune all about the joy of love at first sight. Eliane always is clear as a bell and this one is no exception. The backing vocals are evocative of Take 6 with the influence of Mark Kibble as the arranger. There’s a a swinging piano solo midway through the song transitioning to the swirling, elevated heartbeat vocals, and back to another piano solo. It’s a great start to the album.
Falo do Amor translates as “I Talk About Love” and it’s another uptempo tune with a high energy level. The acoustic instrumentation is crystal clear and the Eliane’s piano solos and accompaniment is terrific. She absolutely swings on this one.
It’s Time starts with some light scatting, and settles in at midtempo. After the A-section, Eliane again scats along with her piano solo in a very subtle way. The song seems to be about the need to change habits and shift gears, but I could listen all day.
How Many Times is a slower paced song reflecting on past places and people. It has a dreamlike floating feel. You definitely can feel the thoughtfulness evoked from the lyrics. Also, it’s always a joy to hear the vibe work of Mainieri, bouncing around with the piano and guitar work. It’s so clear that the players here have a history that meshes perfectly. I really love this song.
Sempre you may know means ‘always’. The song features Djavan for a duet with Eliane. Candidly, I wasn’t familiar with him but not totally surprised to find out that he’s considered one of the greatest singers in Brazilian history (Wikipedia)!. Since the song is in Portuguese, I don’t know the lyrics but can intimate that it’s a about and always enduring love. It’s a great listen.
A Volta means “Around” – the song features a mix of light scatting, great backing vocals and of course Eliane’s gorgeous vocals. Eliane has a brilliant piano solo as the bridge with the backing vocals floating on the top.
Making Honey starts with a great chorus of vocals and brushes on the drums. The lyrics talk about watching people to see if all are dreaming of love. It’s a bit of a voyeuristic journey, watching and wanting romance. The bridge is another brilliant, upbeat piano solo. “Imagine that it’s more than just a fling” is the overall theme to Making Honey where “everybody is dreaming of love like me.”
Too Late is a retrospective “looking back in time” ballad, thinking about how to make things better, the way things used to be. Too Late “to say I’m sorry” or to think about other things that could have changed the relationship. The backing chorus is ethereal and the music just wraps the listener in a tight, warm hug. The whole album is such a class compilation.