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Last Modified : 8-4-2008
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Something for You: Elaine Elias Sings and Plays Bill Evans
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JazzDigger Home > A - Jazz Artists > Claudia Acuna > Item 1
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Something for You: Elaine Elias Sings and Plays Bill Evans
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by Eliane Elias
Sales Rank: 2474
Price:$14.99
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Album Details
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
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Listener Reviews & Comments
Although the urgency and intensity prove elusive, Bill Evans' harmonies, voicings, and taste come through on several selections, including the title song (a previously unreleased composition by the late pianist), "Minha," "I Love My Wife," "For Nenette," "Evanesque," and Elias' own "After All." Otherwise, this is one of those smooth, relaxing, well-produced albums (increasingly rare for jazz releases by big American labels) that at times threatens to disappear into the background (ironically, a charge that Bill had to deal with through much of his career). Elias has a full and sultry singing voice along with a charming accent, but its placement (low tenor range) is not particularly well-suited to "Waltz for Debby" (the trio at least freshens it a bit by taking it in 4/4 most of the way). Especially with Marc Johnson (Evans' last bassist) on the date, it would have been interesting to hear more of the Evans repertoire from his last 18 months ("Nardis," "Turn Out the Stars," possibly even a vocal transcription of "Your Story" entitled "My Story"). The recording concludes with a final taped segment of Evans' own playing which, as atrocious as the audio quality is, should suggest why his was an all but unapproachable talent. On several numbers Johnson plays the bass of Scott LaFaro (who died less than a month after the seminal Village Vanguard sessions). As has been the case for the past several decades, the recorded sound of bass--while full, encompassing, and very present--tends to be lacking in "character," or "personality." It used to be easy on a blindfold test, even apart from solos, to identify the recorded sound of a Mingus, Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Sam Jones or Scotty LaFaro. Not just on the Riverside recordings but on some of the dates for Contemporary Records with Hampton Hawes and Harold Land, LaFaro's playing is gutty, ringing, and clearly defined. The equipment was comparatively primitive (an analog tape recorder and a mic placed in front of a bass without a pick-up), but its effectiveness, as the evidence frequently shows, was inarguable. By comparison, this recording (and practically every current recording that isn't a reissue) makes the rhythm section sound highly competent but also generic. (For me this is a 3-star recording, but I can readily see the appeal of this 16-song album to many listeners, so we'll split the difference.)
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Something for You: Elaine Elias Sings and Plays Bill Evans
by Eliane Elias
Price:$14.99
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