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
We're So Good
Eliane Elias Lyrics
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Love you miss you
Met you knew that
Love was only a step away
A fragile moment
Oh but it's here to stay
And we both know it
Can't resist me
Leave me smiling
Knowing all that we have today
We keep tomorrow
And if I walk away
You'll always follow
Knowing what we have's so right
And we couldn't end this no way
Even if we tried
We're so good
Old enough to know our minds
All that crazy stupid heartbreak
Leaving it behind
We're so good
Morning sunlight
On our pillow
Wakes us takes us
Somewhere never deny ourselves
I turn to touch you
I'll never be someone else
I forever kiss you
Your face you lips
Your eyes falling
Deeper steeper
Help me I never believed that God
Would hear me calling as if it's not enough
We keep on falling
Knowing what we have's so right
And we couldn't end this no way
Even if we tried
We're so good
Old enough to know our minds
All that crazy stupid heartbreak
Leaving it behind
We're so good
Knowing what we have's so right
And we couldn't end this no way
Even if we tried
We're so good
Old enough to know our minds
All that crazy stupid heartbreak
Leaving it behind
We're so good
Knowing what we have's so right
And we couldn't end this no way
Even if we tried
We're so good
The song "We're So Good" by Eliane Elias describes a couple who have found true love and are confident in the strength of their relationship. The lyrics express the idea that they have found the one they want, need, love, and miss, and that they are fully committed to each other. The beginning of the song talks about the moment they met and how they both knew that love was only a step away. They acknowledge that their love is fragile but that it is here to stay, and they are both aware of that.
The chorus reaffirms the strength of their relationship, emphasizing their mutual understanding that what they have is so right and enduring that even if they tried, they couldn't end it. The entire song is full of words and phrases that express their deep love and commitment towards each other. The lyrics also depict the romantic moments the couple shares, like the morning sunlight on their pillows and waking up somewhere they never denied themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Want you need you
My desire for you is strong and necessary.
Love you miss you
Even when we are apart, my love and longing for you remain constant.
Met you knew that
From the moment we met, I sensed that there was something special between us.
Love was only a step away
I knew that falling in love with you would be easy and inevitable.
A fragile moment
The beginning of our love was delicate and vulnerable.
Oh but it's here to stay
Despite its fragility, our love is enduring and permanent.
And we both know it
We are confident in our love for each other.
Come in kiss me
Please enter and express your affection for me.
Can't resist me
My charm and allure are irresistible to you.
Leave me smiling
Your love and attention bring joy and happiness to my life.
Knowing all that we have today
We appreciate and acknowledge the love and happiness we share in the present moment.
We keep tomorrow
We look forward to a future filled with love and devotion to each other.
And if I walk away
Even if there are challenges or obstacles, we will remain committed to each other.
You'll always follow
Our love is powerful and intense, and we will always be drawn to each other.
Knowing what we have's so right
We are certain that our love for each other is true and valuable.
And we couldn't end this no way
Our love is too strong to be broken or ended.
Even if we tried
Despite any difficulties we may face, we will never stop loving each other.
We're so good
Our love is strong and unwavering, and we are confident in it.
Old enough to know our minds
We have enough life experience to understand our feelings and desires.
All that crazy stupid heartbreak
We have been through difficult times in the past, but our love has conquered all.
Leaving it behind
We are moving forward and focusing on the present and future, rather than dwelling on the past.
Morning sunlight
The fresh start of every day brings new happiness and love for each other.
On our pillow
We wake up next to each other, ready to face the day with love and devotion.
Wakes us takes us
Our love energizes and motivates us to be the best we can be.
Somewhere never deny ourselves
We are free to love and express our affection for each other without reservation or hesitation.
I turn to touch you
I am constantly drawn to you and express my love physically.
I'll never be someone else
I am committed to you and will never betray or replace you with someone else.
I forever kiss you
My love for you is passionate and enduring, and I will always express it physically.
Your face you lips
Your physical features express your beauty and charm, and I am drawn to them.
Your eyes falling
Your gaze captivates and mesmerizes me, and I am entranced by it.
Deeper steeper
Our love is growing and intensifying with each passing moment.
Help me I never believed that God
Our love is so miraculous and beautiful, it feels like a divine gift.
Would hear me calling as if it's not enough
Our love is so powerful and intense, we feel like we have been blessed by a higher power.
We keep on falling
Our love is always growing and deepening, and we are constantly falling deeper in love with each other.
Contributed by Molly S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.