Born on the 19th March 1960 in São Paulo, Brazil, Elias started learning to play the piano at the age of seven, and was transcribing solo portions of her parents’ jazz records by the age of twelve.
After studying for six years (and teaching by the age of fifteen) at Brazil’s prestigious Free Centre of Music Apprenticeship, she continued her classical education with Amilton Godoy and Amaral Vieria. She was also the protégé of Vinicius de Moraes, lyricist and songwriting partner of Antonio Carlos Jobim, a huge influence on Elias' work, and master of the Brazilian bossa nova movement. By the time she was seventeen years old she was touring with the best bossa nova composers and interpreters, composing her own pieces and performing at jazz clubs regularly.
Elias then moved to New York and studied privately with Olegna Fuschi at the Julliard School of Music, eventually joining jazz supergroup Steps Ahead (whose members included Eddie Gomez, Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine, and Mike Mainieri).
Her first live instrumental recording, Eliane Elias Plays Live, was recorded in Amsterdam on the 31st May 2002, and digitally released in the USA in 2010.
Elias lives in New York City with her husband, bassist Marc Johnson.
* Official site
The classical tradition meets the spontaneity of jazz through the virtuosic playing of Brazil-born and New York-based pianist Eliane Elias. A former member of jazz ensemble Steps Ahead, Elias has continued to explore two distinct musical streams through her solo recordings and her performances since the mid-'80s. In 1993, she became one of the few artists to release jazz and classical albums simultaneously. In a review of a concert in her homeland, Brazil magazine praised Elias for "her dazzling right-hand runs, executed often at frightening speeds. Her command of the keyboard was total. Her harmonic sensibility caused a sense of wonderment."
Elias may have inherited at least some of her musical talents from her mother, Lucy, a classical pianist who often played jazz records in the family home. After studying for six years at the Free Center of Music Apprenticeship in São Paulo, she continued to study classical technique with Amilton Godoy and Amaral Vieira. By her teens, Elias was composing her own pieces and performing in jazz clubs. While touring in Europe in 1981, she met jazz bassist Eddie Gomez and was encouraged to travel to New York. Arriving in the Big Apple the following year, she studied privately with Olegna Fuschi at the Juilliard School of Music. Elias' professional career received a boost when she was invited to join Steps Ahead, a jazz "supergroup" featuring Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine, Mike Manieri, and Eddie Gomez. She recorded one album with the group -- Steps Ahead -- in 1983. Shortly after leaving Steps Ahead, Elias began collaborating with trumpet player Randy Brecker, whom she subsequently married but later divorced. Their sole duo album, released in 1985, was named after their daughter Amanda. The following year, Elias launched her career as a bandleader. Since then, she's alternated tours with two different trios, one featuring drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Gomez and the other featuring drummer Erskine and her current husband, bassist Marc Johnson. Elias has also performed with a third trio, featuring Johnson on bass and Satoshi Takeishi on drums.
She signed with Blue Note in 1989, and released her debut for the label, So Far So Close, the same year with a slew of guests. While most of her recordings have been instrumental, Elias introduced her soft but coarse vocals on her 1990 album Eliane Elias Plays Jobim, and has employed vocals on occasion ever since. Her 1995 album Solos and Duets featured a brilliantly executed duet with Herbie Hancock. In addition to working periodically with Toots Thielemans' Brasil Project, Elias has served as musical director for Gilberto Gil's group. While she continued to record for the rest of the '90s, it was 2000's Impulsive! that proved one of the largest surprises in her career as she collaborated with conductor and arranger Bob Brookmeyer leading the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra. In 2002 she left Blue Note for RCA's Bluebird label, where she debuted with Kissed by Nature, a primarily vocal album, and followed it up with the lovely Dreamer in 2004. Elias released Around the City in 2006, a collection of primarily vocal tracks that moved ever further into pop territory, covering music by Santana, Bob Marley, and even Beck. It was her final album for Bluebird.
She returned to Blue Note for 2007's Something for You: Elaine Elias Sings & Plays Bill Evans, fronting a trio with Johnson (who played with Evans) and drummer Joey Baron. In 2009, she issued what many have argued is her finest recording, Bossa Nova Stories, fully engaging her Brazilian heritage in bossa and samba and illustrating her singular jazz instincts as a pianist. In 2010, Savoy Records issued Timeless Eliane Elias, a compilation of tracks culled from her mid-'80s recordings Illusions and Cross Currents. In late 2010, Elias signed with Concord; in the late spring of 2011 she released Light My Fire, her debut set on the label. A year later, Elias paired with bassist Marc Johnson for the instrumental ECM date, Swept Away. In 2013, Elias paid homage to trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker with I Thought About You: A Tribute to Chet Baker. ~ Craig Harris & Thom Jurek, Rovi
Little Paradise
Eliane Elias Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Have the day and night
Have the songs we play
And the moments we stay
Dreaming side by side
Watching clouds go by
Seeing pictures
Getting ready for the changes
That each day will bring
And just who we are
Little paradise
Tell me what we have
Have the sun and moon
All of that for us
Oceans mountains
We can see them from the window
Window of your eyes
And just who we are
Little paradise
We'll cozy up, watch a movie
A bowl of goodies at our reach
The night may linger on
In your arms
No need to speak
A melody comes back to me
That we've heard before
For all this time
Our lives entwined
In love, when I look in your eyes
I see the two of us
A little paradise
Tell me what we have
Have the moon and stars
All this music, all the love songs
That many other hearts have spoken
It's a starry night
And just who we are
Little paradise
The song Little Paradise by Eliane Elias is a romantic ode to the love shared between two people who have found their haven in each other. The song starts with the artist asking the question "Tell me what we have?" and she then goes on to answer it throughout the song's verses. She simplifies it to the bare necessities of life, the day and night, the songs they play, and the moments they stay in. The artists highlight the importance of shared memories by describing how they watch clouds go by and see pictures while writing letters together.
As the song progresses, she acknowledges the ever-changing nature of life, but they are "getting ready for the changes that each day will bring." She explains that their love is their little paradise, and they can see the beauty of the world through their partner's eyes. Even though the night may linger on, they don't need to speak as they are in tune with each other, and the melody of their love brings them back to the memories they have shared before.
The song implies that we don't need much to create our paradise, and it can be found in our shared experiences with the person we love. The song's overall vibe is peaceful, serene, and positive as it highlights the beauty that can be found in simplicity.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me what we have
Asking about what the couple has in their life.
Have the day and night
Acknowledging the presence of both day and night in their life.
Have the songs we play
Referring to the songs they create and play together.
And the moments we stay
Referring to the happy moments they share together.
Dreaming side by side
Referring to how the couple shares their dreams with each other.
Watching clouds go by
Sharing the moment of watching clouds in the sky.
Seeing pictures
Referring to the cherished moments they've captured as photographs.
Writing letters
Referring to the love letters they send to each other.
Getting ready for the changes
Preparing themselves for the unknown future.
That each day will bring
Acknowledging the fact that every day is different and could bring anything.
And just who we are
Embracing their identity.
Little paradise
Referring to their relationship as a little paradise.
Have the sun and moon
Acknowledging the presence of both the sun and moon in their life.
All of that for us
Feeling grateful for having everything they need in life.
Oceans mountains
Referring to the beauty of nature.
We can see them from the window
Seeing the beauty of nature through the eyes and heart.
Window of your eyes
Referring to how the eyes serve as the window to the soul.
We'll cozy up, watch a movie
Sharing the moment of coziness by watching a movie together.
A bowl of goodies at our reach
Having snacks at hand to make the moment even more comfortable.
The night may linger on
Not worrying about time and enjoying the moment.
In your arms
Feeling loved and safe in partner's arms.
No need to speak
Not needing to explain the moment with words, feeling complete nonetheless.
A melody comes back to me
A melody of happiness and love.
That we've heard before
A melody of love that they've shared before.
For all this time
Celebrating their time spent together.
Our lives entwined
Their lives are connected and interwoven together by love.
In love, when I look in your eyes
Feeling love and seeing a reflection of that love in partner's eyes.
I see the two of us
Seeing the future that they'll face together.
A little paradise
Referring to their relationship as a little paradise.
Have the moon and stars
Acknowledging the presence of moon and stars in their life.
All this music, all the love songs
Referring to the universal language of love and how it's expressed through music.
That many other hearts have spoken
Feeling connected to others who have also shared similar experiences.
It's a starry night
Appreciating the beauty of nature on a starry night.
And just who we are
Embracing each other's identity.
Little paradise
Referring to their relationship as a little paradise.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Eliane Elias
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dellavira mayangsari
Tell me what we have
Have the day and night
Have the songs we play
And the moments we stay
Dreaming side by side
Watching clouds go by
Seeing pictures
Writing letters
Getting ready for the changes
That each day will bring
And just who we are
Little paradise
Tell me what we have
Have the sun and moon
All of that for us
Oceans mountains
We can see them from the window
Window of your eyes
And just who we are
Little Paradise
We'll cozy up, watch a movie
A bowl of goodies at our reach
The night may linger on
In your arms
No need to speak
A melody comes back to me
That we've heard before
For all this time
Our lives entwined
In love, when I look in your eyes
I see the two of us
A little Paradise
Tell me what we have
Have the moon and stars
All this music, all the love songs
That many other hearts have spoken
It's a starry night
And just who we are
Little
Paradise
luis acosta
Es increíble lo que me atrapó su música. Hace unos días la empecé a escuchar y ahora no paro de escucharla es increíble una voz, una calidez, una dulzura para el jazz. La admiro demasiado. Su música es una inspiración para lo que hago, para disfrutar las hermosas noches mientras voy viajando. Sin más que decir la admiro mucho
Robert Sorzano
This is taking it to the next level, what a display of real music.
Giorgio Santambrogio
Geniale con raffinatissima tecnica che solamente una o un BRASILIANO può raggiungere !!
Bruce Laudenberger
Beautiful, breathtaking....bravo!
dellavira mayangsari
Tell me what we have
Have the day and night
Have the songs we play
And the moments we stay
Dreaming side by side
Watching clouds go by
Seeing pictures
Writing letters
Getting ready for the changes
That each day will bring
And just who we are
Little paradise
Tell me what we have
Have the sun and moon
All of that for us
Oceans mountains
We can see them from the window
Window of your eyes
And just who we are
Little Paradise
We'll cozy up, watch a movie
A bowl of goodies at our reach
The night may linger on
In your arms
No need to speak
A melody comes back to me
That we've heard before
For all this time
Our lives entwined
In love, when I look in your eyes
I see the two of us
A little Paradise
Tell me what we have
Have the moon and stars
All this music, all the love songs
That many other hearts have spoken
It's a starry night
And just who we are
Little
Paradise
rosangela aguiar
Lindoooo
E Harvey
Perfeito!!!
Franz Schaefer
Beautiful. Love this!
WhisperSolace
Beautiful bravo 👏🏻 ❤️❤️
Rick Finney
Beautiful music. I like!! ❤️