CD review: Eliane Elias – Mirror Mirror 2021: Video, CD cover

Over the course of a distinguished career spanning nearly 30 albums, multi-GRAMMY-winning pianist/singer/composer Eliane Elias’ distinctive musical style has emerged as one of the most unique and immediately recognisable sounds in jazz.

With over 2.2 million albums sold to date, Elias blends her Brazilian roots and alluring voice with her virtuosic instrumental jazz, classical and compositional skills, while she consistently displays her pianistic mastery and ability to integrate the many artistic roles she takes on.

These duets, which form the album, are with two legendary pianists who have strongly influenced her work; The late, great Chick Corea, and Cuban pianist and composer Chuco Valdes.

The album is an instrumental blend of Cuban and Brazilian rhythms, inside the deep-rooted Latin Jazz tradition of Elias’ music.

Multi GRAMMY® winning pianist/singer/composer Eliane Elias’ latest album MIRROR MIRROR on Candid Records is a lifelong musical dream come true—an extraordinary piano duet recording of Eliane with the late legendary jazz great Chick Corea, and famed Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés. While her highly successful recordings have predominantly featured her alluring voice and piano mastery, the piano has always been her first love and working with these two incredible icons was a rare opportunity to record in a two-piano setting, something she hasn’t done in many years.

For the world-renowned performer, this organically created collection represents more than simply a culmination of an illustrious career that includes nearly 30 recordings, over 2.3 million albums sold, nine total GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY nominations, a GRAMMY win for Best Latin Jazz Album (Made in Brazil, 2016) and a Latin GRAMMY win for Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album (Dance of Time, 2017). MIRROR MIRROR marks the classically trained pianist’s first piano-only recording since 1995’s Solos and Duets, a set of piano solos and six duets with pianist Herbie Hancock.

The recordings took place in NYC at Yamaha’s Artist Services in Manhattan with Corea and Brooklyn’s Bunker Studios with Valdés. It features Chick on four tracks, Chucho on three and was produced by Elias with her award-winning team of co-producers Marc Johnson and Steve Rodby, and mixed and mastered by Rich Breen. Though Corea and Valdés alternate in the track list with the opening Corea duet “Armando’s Rhumba” followed by the Valdés duet “Esta Tarde Vi Llover” before the next Corea duo “Blue Bossa,” etc., the flow is remarkably seamless.

1. Armando’s Rhumba (6:08)
2. Esta Tarde Vi Llover (6:27)
3. Blue Bossa (5:48)
4. Corazón Partío (11:33)
5. Mirror Mirror (4:54)
6. Sabor A Mi (6:45)
7. There Will Never Be Another You (6:15)