Jazz Pianist Should Have Stuck to Solos, Added More Vocals

Sa~o Paulo-born pianist Eliane Elias has been demonstrating the true global character of jazz for more than a decade. Her recordings and live performances have revealed a first-rate artist, fully adept in all the sophisticated aspects of modern jazz.

But Elias’ performance at El Camino’s Marsee Auditorium on Saturday night only intermittently rose to her usual high level of accomplishment.

She was at her best during the unaccompanied segments. The lead-ins to a pair of pieces in the first part of the concert, for example, were lovely miniatures--beautifully harmonized and articulate, fruitful illustrations of Elias’ intelligent yet emotionally expressive approach to improvisation.

Working with bassist Mark Johnson and drummer Satoshi Takeishi, Elias was a different player, however. Where her solo playing had been filled with clarity, the trio work sounded muddy and uneven, often dominated by pounding chordal passages.

Despite a long musical association, Elias and Johnson sounded like strikingly disparate entities. Not only was there a stylistic difference between Elias’ surging rhythmic drive and Johnson’s rubbery slips and slides, there were moments when Elias’ and Johnson’s musical clocks seemed to be running at different speeds.

The addition of flutist Dave Valentin and guitarist Dave Stryker on a few numbers produced mixed results. Valentin proved to be a valuable asset, with his colorful array of sounds and resourceful improvisations. Stryker’s contributions were more uneven, often simply exacerbating the trio’s abrasive qualities.

Surprisingly, given the fact that her latest album is titled “Eliane Elias Sings Jobim,” the singer only elected to vocalize on a brief run through “So Danco Samba” and a wordless vocal during her encore. She played the superb “Aguas de Marco” but chose not to sing Jobim’s captivating English lyrics.

It’s hard not to feel that the program would have benefited from the emotional and musical balance that a few of her attractive Jobim vocals would have provided.