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
So Nice
Eliane Elias Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That would be very nice
Someone to love me right
That would be very nice
Someone to understand
Each little dream in me
Someone to take my hand
So nice, life would be so nice
If one day I'd find
Someone who would take my hand
And samba through life with me
Someone to cling to me
Stay with me right or wrong
Someone to sing to me
Some little samba song
Someone to take my heart
And give his heart to me
Someone who's ready to
Give love a start with me
Oh yeah, that would be so nice
I could see you and me, that would be nice
Someone to hold me tight
That would be very nice
Someone to love me right
That would be very nice
Someone to understand
Each little dream in me
Someone to take my hand
To be a team with me
So nice, life would be so nice
If one day I'd find
Someone who would take my hand
And samba through life with me
Someone to cling to me
Stay with me right or wrong
Someone to sing to me
Some little samba song
Someone to take my heart
And give his heart to me
Someone who's ready to
Give love a start with me
Oh yes, that would be so nice
Shouldn't we, you and me?
I can see it will be nice
The song "So Nice" by Eliane Elias talks about the desire to find true love and spend life dancing through it together. The lyrics describe the need for someone to hold tightly, love rightly, and understand each other's dreams. The song talks about how life would be so nice if shared with someone that would be willing to take the hand and samba through life together. The lyrics resonate with anyone who seeks love and companionship and the power of music to bring two people together.
The song is not just about a romantic partner but a friend, a confidant, someone who understands and accepts every little dream of ours. With its infectious samba beat, So Nice is an instant classic and has been covered by several artists in different languages. The song has been interpreted by artists like Diana Krall, Bebel Gilberto, Sergio Mendez, and more. The song has been played in multiple movies and TV shows, including Mad Men, The Big Bang Theory, and Fools Rush In.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone to hold me tight
I desire affection and physical touch.
That would be very nice
It would bring me happiness and contentment.
Someone to love me right
I need someone who understands how to treat me with respect and care.
Someone to understand
I need someone who comprehends my unique personality and dreams.
Each little dream in me
I have intricate and deep aspirations that I want understood.
Someone to take my hand
I need companionship and partnership.
And be a team with me
I need someone who is willing to work together to achieve our shared dreams.
So nice, life would be so nice
Having a partner would be a great source of joy.
If one day I'd find
I have hope that I will eventually meet someone who truly loves me.
Someone who would take my hand
I want someone to support and guide me through life.
And samba through life with me
I want someone who will make life fun and exciting for me.
Someone to cling to me
I want someone to stand by me and be there for me through thick and thin.
Stay with me right or wrong
I want someone who will love me unconditionally.
Someone to sing to me
I love music, and I want someone to share that with me.
Some little samba song
I want to share my love of music, dance, and culture with someone.
Someone to take my heart
I want someone to accept and cherish me for who I am.
And give his heart to me
I want someone who will reciprocate my love and commitment.
Someone who's ready to
I want someone who is willing and excited to start a relationship with me.
Give love a start with me
I want to feel loved and valued in a romantic relationship.
Oh yeah, that would be so nice
Finding true love would be an incredible experience.
I could see you and me, that would be nice
I can picture a future with someone who loves and respects me.
Shouldn't we, you and me?
I wonder if we could have a meaningful romantic relationship.
I can see it will be nice
I have hope that a romantic relationship with someone would bring happiness and fulfillment.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Norman Gimbel, Marcos Kostenbader Valle, Paulo Sergio Kostenbader Valle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind