I first experienced this trio in 2012 when they were joined by guitarist Rubens de La Corte during Elias’s aptly named and highly praised Light My Fire quartet performance at the Ystad Sweden Jazz Festival. The recent concert at Ronnie Scott’s demonstrated that the chemistry and overall charm of leader Eliane Elias (p, v), her husband Marc Johnson (b), and drummer Rafael Barata remain as strong as ever.

Over the years, I have attended numerous memorable performances at Ronnie Scott’s, featuring artists like George Adams and Don Pullen, Monty Alexander, Richard Bona, Betty Carter, Elvin Jones, Manu Katché, Art Pepper, Sonny Rollins, Omar Sosa, and John Surman. Elias’s captivating early evening set, the first of two during this brief London visit, ranked among the finest: a 70-minute display of heartwarming, irresistibly joyful jazz-infused Latin melodies, culminating in a well-deserved standing ovation from a packed audience.

Opening with Little Paper Doll, which is part of her recent Quietude release (reviewed 04/01/23), Elias shared that the set would focus on bossa nova pieces. Recognized as a leading interpreter of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s works (notably on her Plays Jobim and Sings Jobim albums from the 1990s), Elias has a deep appreciation for the Brazilian master’s music, having shared early experiences with him. A consummate performer, she adeptly engaged the audience, inviting them to contribute “aahs” to The Girl From Ipanema without a hint of cheesiness.

I first encountered Elias live during her time in the New York fusion scene, particularly at a mid-1980s London gig with Steps Ahead. Since then, I have consistently admired her ability to reconnect with her Brazilian roots while infusing them with sophisticated jazz sensibilities.

Elias’s two ECM albums, Shades Of Jade and Swept Away (2005 and 2012), showcase her remarkable melodic poetry, expressed through diverse harmonic, rhythmic, and dynamic sensibilities. Her mastery of touch and timing allows her to transition fluidly between reflective, suspended passages and moments filled with blues-infused magic, however subtle they may be.

This performance followed that same pattern. With Elias’s sultry vocals complementing her skillful piano work, and Johnson (pizzicato throughout) alongside Barata laying down a steady groove, the Grammy-winning leader illustrated why she has performed in 79 countries and received 13 Grammy nominations, including one for her recent Candid release, Time And Again.

The thoughtfully curated program was expansive, including a fresh take on the Sinatra classic Come Fly With Me and material inspired by Luiz Bonfá’s Black Orpheus. The highlight was a thrilling rendition of Desafinado, a 1959 classic, where the trio delivered exhilarating uptempo sections in pure jazz time. Barata, throughout the set, was delicate and mesmerizing with brushes and bare hands, yet powerful with sticks, culminating in an extensive solo that was both multifaceted and intensely dynamic.

Eliane Elias Trio at Ronnie Scott’s, London, 27 March 2025