Eliane Elias: Mirror Mirror

Pianist and composer Eliane Elias reveals a wonderful reflection of piano madness on the dazzling Mirror Mirror, capturing the mastery of two piano legends and the fabulous key work of a third legend in the making. One can simply not go wrong listening to the late great Chick Corea and Cuban-born master Chucho Valdes providing amazing call and respond to Elias's own keyboard play. The result is compelling, tasteful, light jazz performed with elegance and grace.

An album has been in the air for some time. Elias recorded with Corea in 2018, capturing their interplay on Corea's "Armando's Rhumba," Kenny Dorham's standard "Blue Bossa," the title track and Harry Warren's "There Will Never Be Another You." Elias and Corea kept in touch and one day Corea mentioned the recording asked and when it might be released. A few months after that, when Elias was in the process of mixing the album, Corea passed away. She had no idea he was ill and felt privileged to have made, as it seems, one of his last recordings with her.

Recording with Corea was a dream come true for Elias and so was performing with Valdes. They met for the first time in Spain years ago when Elias heard Valdes and his father Bebo Valdes performing together. They kept in contact and performed a rehearsal of the songs she had suggested while in Miami before the recording. Valdes was impressed with the selection and had no idea Elias would know these Spanish tunes. Later, recording in a Brooklyn studio, the two pianists laid down marvelous moments on the late Armando Manzanero's "Esta Tarde Vi Llover," Alejandro Sanz's "Corazon Partio," and the piece de resistance song of the set, Alvaro Carrillo's immortal Mexican standard "Sabor A Mi," where both Elias and Valdes let it all hang out on one incredible solo after another.

Arguably one of the finest jazz duet albums ever produced, Mirror Mirror is a musical treasure full of gold and Grammy dust for Eliane Elias—and well deserved at that.