Quietude

With 2022s Quietude, Eliane Elias crafts a sumptuously intimate showcase for her Portuguese vocals and bossa nova jazz balladry. The album follows her Grammy-winning 2021 production Mirror Mirror, where she went head-to-head with fellow piano luminaries Chucho Valdes and Chick Corea, the latter of whom died soon after the album was finished. That album put Elias immense jazz, Latin, and classical keyboard skills on display. While she does play some piano here, Quietude intentionally spotlights her voice, pairing the Brazilian-born performer with several of her closest guitar friends on a handful of her favorite songs from her homeland. Here, Elias is joined by Marcus Teixeira with whom she has worked since her breakthrough 2015 album Made in Brazil. Also joining her is Lula Galvao, one of the leading masters of the Brazilian acoustic guitar tradition. There are also rhythm section contributions from percussionist Celso de Almeida and Elias husband, bassist Marc Johnson, the latter of whom also produced the effort with Steve Rodby in Sao Paulo. Much of the album focuses on duets, including a hushed reading of Dorival Caymmis "Marina" with Teixeira. Other songs, like her lyrical take on Antonio Carlos Jobims "So Tinha Que Ser Com Voce" benefit from her lush small group sound. We also get a spritely take on Haroldo Barbosa and Geraldo Jacques bossa nova "Tim-Tim Por Tim-Tim" which Elias recorded with the late Brazilian guitar legend Oscar Castro-Neves prior to his 2013 passing and which she hadnt released until now. Equally compelling is her affectionate album-ending duet with 79-year-old singer Dori Caymmi on his father and Nelson Mottas poetic sailing ballad "Saveiros." ~ Matt Collar