Eliane Elias

I’m still buzzing from Eliane Elias’s show at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival on Tuesday night. As a musician myself, I have to say - Eliane is just incredible. The way she plays keyboard is absolutely mesmerizing, and watching her with her band was like witnessing pure magic happen right in front of me. Marc Johnson was on bass, and his extended solos completely blew me away. Mauricio Zottarelli on drums and Leandro Pellegrino on guitar were both fantastic too - the four of them just clicked in this amazing way that is wonderful to see and hear. The highlight for me was when Elias said she was going to play “Desafinado” “a little differently.” What followed was this incredible journey where each musician got to really stretch out and explore, and somehow it all came together into something absolutely beautiful. I found myself leaning forward in my seat, completely absorbed. Between songs, Eliane was so charming and down-to-earth - joking about her luggage getting lost by the airline and giving sweet acknowledgments to some Brazilian jazz legends who were in the audience. It made the whole evening feel intimate despite being at a festival. I can’t remember the last time I was at a concert where the audience was so completely captivated. Four standing ovations and three encores later, I walked out feeling like I’d just experienced something truly special. What a night.