Eliane Elias returns with Music from Man of La Mancha, set to be released on April 13, 2018, by Concord Jazz. Recorded with two different trios — one in which the piano virtuoso is accompanied by bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack De-Johnette, and the other with Marc Johnson on bass and Satoshi Takeishi on drums, with Manolo Badrena joining on percussion — the collection of nine tracks is a completely instrumental and unique reinterpretation of songs from the legendary Broadway musical.
Dance of Time, which debuted at number one on two Billboard charts, the iTunes Jazz Albums chart and the Brazilian and Latino Jazz charts on Amazon.com, and Made in Brazil, which also debuted at number one on the iTunes Jazz Albums and Amazon.com charts, were recorded in Elias’s homeland. The story behind the new release adds another chapter to the curriculum of the prolific pianist-singer-songwriter-arranger and producer: although Elias has previously recorded tributes to giants like Antonio Carlos Jobim, Chet Baker, and Bill Evans, Music from Man of La Mancha marks the first time she gives her own interpretation to a specific set of songs from a Broadway musical.
The 26th album by Elias in a highly distinguished career, Music from Man of La Mancha was recorded in 1995 and produced by Elias, with co-production by Mitch Leigh, the late composer of the music from the original Broadway production.
Upon reacquainting herself with the material, Elias ended up focusing on nine pieces, including “The Impossible Dream,” as well as the title track from the show and favorites like “A Little Gossip,” “The Barber’s Song,” and “It’s All the Same.” Each track carries Elias’s indelible personal touch. “This record is Brazilian/Latino/jazz,” she says. “It has all the elements together, which felt like a natural fusion to me.”
Some of the songs have more Latin flavor; others have more Brazilian flavor. ‘The Barber Song’ is more like a Brazilian baião, where I harmonize each note of the melody and play freely over the time signature. ‘The Impossible Dream’ is a samba. Each song has its own treatment. ‘What Does He Want of Me’ and ‘Man of La Mancha’ have a lot of interplay. There’s a lot of variety. I really enjoyed preparing the arrangements for this recording because Mitch gave me artistic freedom.”
For more information, visit the website: www.elianeelias.com