CD REVIEWS


Eliane Elias
Dreamer
(BMG)
Reviewed by Rodger Lee

Brazilian singer Eliane Elias serves up a formidable challenge to the leading stakeholders in the smooth contemporary jazz market with her latest project, the appropriately named Dreamer. Elias possesses a sultry vocal style as suggested by her appearance and plays soulful, economic piano across a discerning repertoire of standards skewed towards the original bossa nova movement of the 1960s. With accompaniment provided by Michael Brecker’s tenor sax and elegant Claus Ogerman styled horn and string arrangements courtesy of Rob Mathias, Elias has her way with Call Me, Baubles Bangles and Beads and So Nice. Movin’ Me On, one of two originals, sits comfortably in a set concluding with a reflective instrumental version of Bacharach and David’s A House Is Not A Home. © 050725

Miguel 'Anga' Diaz
Echu Mingua
(World Circuit/MRA)
Reviewed by Rodger Lee

Taking a cue from Cachaito’s ground breaking self-titled debut release, percussionist and conga player extraordinaire ‘Anga’ Diaz pushes Cuban music further into the future with a wildly experimental fusion of traditional salsa and son, jazz, Malian n’goni, hip hop and turntable effects from French DJ Dee Nasty. A string quartet used to back Diaz for a reading of Thelonius Monks’ Round Midnight swells to a twenty seven piece orchestra for the centerpiece, a cover of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme. In an embarrassment of riches, four pianists including Chucho Valdes and Ruben Gonzales are challenged by a dazzling Diaz, who cannily sources melodies from a set of tuned congas for “a musical religious service to invoke the spirits.” © 050725

2005

**news from home ~ the field ** amos lee ~ amos lee **playing for change ~ various artists **make it through this world ~ greg trooper **bakelite radio vol 3 ~ bakelite radio **the hidden soul of harmony ~ the modern congress **atom bomb ~ the blind boys of alabama **the mysterious production of eggs ~ andrew bird ** natural fake ~ de phazz **nektar ~ cosmo cosmolino **the cosmic game ~ thievery corporation **tati remixed ~ mr untel **coup d'etat ~ various artists **blues lounge ~ various artists **walkin in the shadows of life ~ the neville brothers **lonely runs both ways ~ alison krauss & union station **you've been spiked ~ chris joss **sisters and brothers ~ eric bibb, rory block & maria muldaur **ursadelica ~ ursula 1000 **sweet england ~ jim moray **deluxe ~ café of the gate of salvation **cold water ~ mia dyson **sol de abril ~ sally ford & the pachuco playboys

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