Eliane Elias paying tribute to jazz legend Chet Baker

By Diaa Bekheet | Washington, DC – Brazilian-born pianist, composer, and vocalist Eliane Elias is paying tribute to an American trumpet icon on a new album due for release on May 28.

“This recording is a tribute to Chet Baker and to cool jazz,” said Eliasin an interview with VOA’s Jazz Beat. “Chet Baker had a special way of phrasing, not only with playing but with singing as well, that had influenced the bossa nova.”

[audio:http://www.voanews.com/MediaAssets2/english/2013_05/Eliane_Elias_Jazz_Beat_diaa_Bekheet_may2013.mp3]

Making the connection between the cool sounds of Chet Baker and the cool sounds of the bossa nova has become a welcome trend: Last year Brazilian singer Luciana Souza released a Baker tribute, “The Book of Chet,” emphasizing how the singing trumpeter inspired the creators of bossa nova, such as João Gilberto.

Elias brings to the concept her distinctive style — both vocally and at the piano — which blends traditional Brazilian music, bossa nova, and straight-ahead jazz. The 14-track album, “I Thought About You: A Tribute to Chet Baker,” features a group of acclaimed musicians, including her husband bassist Marc Johnson, trumpeter Randy Brecker, guitarists Steve Cardenas and Oscar Castro-Neves, drummer Victor Lewis, and percussionist Marivaldo Dos Santos.

Listen to more music and interviews here on Jazz Beat