The curious blend of pianist
Eliane Elias with conductor and arranger
Bob Brookmeyer leading the
Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra makes for a surprising mix.
Brookmeyer, long established as one of the top jazz writers and a phenomenal valve trombonist to boot, was not familiar with the recordings of the Brazilian keyboardist, but he was clearly up to the challenge of scoring her music.
Brookmeyer gives "Just Kiddin'" a big and bold post-bop treatment, with an underlying funky rhythm and a bit of electronics thrown in for fun.
Elias and
Brookmeyer share the solo spotlight in the breezy setting of her ballad "So in Love." Far more low-key is "Moments," with sparse piano lines backed by
Brookmeyer's rich scoring for the brass and a fine solo by flugelhornist
Henrik Bolberg Pedersen. The exotic, high-energy setting of "The Time Is Now" is a more modern bossa nova, showcasing
Elias and
Brookmeyer, along with bassist
Thomas Ovesen and drummer
Jonas Johansen. "One Side of You" is a haunting ballad made more so by
Brookmeyer's brilliant arrangement. This session may throw a bit of a curve to longtime fans of either
Eliane Elias or
Bob Brookmeyer, but this successful CD is very much an ear opener.