Elaine Elias Plays Three Stages Tonight, Oct 18

With a musical style that blends Brazilian roots, a sensuous, alluring voice and impressive compositional and piano skills, “there is really nobody like Elaine Elias” (New York Observer). She has recorded duets with Herbie Hancock and classical music with opera sensation Denyce Graves; she has been nominated for numerous Grammy Awards and all of her recordings have reached the top five on Billboard. And then there is the spell she weaves over her audience. “Elaine Elias does sultry very well” (Icon).

ELIANE ELIAS will perform in Three Stages tonight, October 18, 2012 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $19-$29, Premium $39; Students with ID $12; they may be purchased online at www.threestages.net or from Three Stages Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm, Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Three Stages is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, Calif., facing East Bidwell Street.

Born in São Paolo, Brazil, Eliane Elias was a child prodigy in her native country, transcribing solos of the great jazz masters by age 12 and teaching piano and improvisation at Brazil’s top school by 15. When she arrived in New York City in 1981, she astonished listeners, critics and fellow musicians alike with her pianistic fluency and charismatic stage presence. After a turn in the original acoustic line-up of Steps Ahead, she launched her starry career as a solo artist. A long line of chart-topping, Grammy Award-nominated recordings for Blue Note, RCA Victor and Concord followed, seeing her shine as both pianist and vocalist, as both an interpreter of classic Brazilian material and a composer of sophisticated, alluring original material. In 2000 appeared Impulsive!, an album of Elias’s music arranged by Bob Brookmeyer and performed by the pianist along with the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra. Elias made her ECM debut in 2005 on bassist Marc Johnson’s Shades of Jade, not only playing piano but also contributing several compositions.

Swept Away—Ms. Elias’s most recent CD, released September 25, 2012-- sees the top-class foursome of double-bassist Marc Johnson, pianist Eliane Elias, drummer Joey Baron and saxophonist Joe Lovano commune over music that is engaging and sensual, poetic and swinging. Brazilian-born star Elias previously joined Baron and Lovano on Johnson’s 2005 ECM album, Shades of Jade, which reaped praise far and wide. The New York Times enthused over the “luminescence” created by the close partnership between Johnson and Elias, while The Village Voice said the album was “shimmering” yet “its lusciousness has all sorts of tensile strength.”

Her 2011 Light My Fire – reached #1 on the French Jazz Charts, #1 on itunes France, debuted at #3 on Billboard’s Jazz Chart and #3 on iTunes and Amazon.com Jazz Charts USA. Internationally, Eliane and Light My Fire received great praise and unanimously raving reviews. Eliane’s composition (music and lyrics) “What about the Heart” (Bate Bate) received a Grammy nomination for Best Brazilian Song. NPR (National Public Radio) named Eliane’s recording of the song “Light My Fire” as one of the top 5 recorded vocal songs of 2011. Backing her is a crew of twelve high-caliber players, including special guests such as guitarist/vocalist Gilberto Gil, bassist Marc Johnson and trumpeter Randy Brecker.

She is, as Jazziz magazine recently called her, “a citizen of the world” and “an artist beyond category.”

She will perform in a trio format at Three Stages:

Eliane Elias – piano, vocals
Marc Johnson – bass
Rafael Barata – drums

Three Stages at Folsom Lake College presents touring artists from around the world; partners with the best regional arts organizations, and supports productions by FLC students and faculty.

Three Stages at Folsom Lake College is a $50 million performing and visual arts center that opened in February 2011. Located on the campus, Three Stages includes three intimate performance venues (850, 200, 100 seats), an art gallery, a recording studio, ample rehearsal and classroom space, a full service ticket office plus all the amenities of a state-of-the-art performance venue. Parking is free on weekends and for those buying tickets in advance.

A renaming of Three Stages is currently under way. The new name, The Harris Center for the Arts, honors Dr. Brice Harris, Chancellor Emeritus of the Los Rios Community College District, for his many contributions to the Capital Region, including providing the vision and leadership that lead to the opening of this regional arts center.

What: Eliane Elias
When: Thurs, Oct 18, 2012; 7:30 pm
Where: Three Stages at Folsom Lake College
10 College Parkway
Folsom, CA 95630
Tickets: $19-$29, Premium $39; Students with ID $12
Tickets are available online at www.threestages.net or from Three Stages Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 (Monday through Saturday, 10 am-6 pm, and two hours before showtime