| Man of La Mancha | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 13, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 1995 | |||
| Studio | Power Station, New York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 53:25 | |||
| Label | Concord Jazz | |||
| Producer | Mitch Leigh, Eliane Elias | |||
| Eliane Elias chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Jazz Forum | [2] |
| Jazzwise | [3] |
| Tom Hull | B+ [4] |
Music from Man of La Mancha is a studio album by Brazilian jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias. The album was recorded in 1995 but released by Concord only on April 13, 2018. [5] [6]
Music from Man of La Mancha is Elias' 26th full-length album. The tracks for the album were recorded as early as in 1995 and produced by Elias together with Mitch Leigh, the late composer of the music for the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha that premiered in 1964. The production was inspired by an earlier, 1959 non-musical stage production, I, Don Quixote , itself inspired by Miguel de Cervantes' 17th-century masterpiece Don Quixote . The album was not released for so long because of contractual limitations; Leigh passed in 2014 and never saw its release. [7] [8]
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard magazine Traditional Jazz Chart and No. 20 on Top Heatseekers one week after its release. [9]
Bobby Reed of DownBeat stated, "Melodies, melodies, sumptuous melodies. That's the central attraction of Eliane Elias' new album, which also features dazzling bouts of improvisation... Elias and her collaborators recorded this material in 1995, but due to contractual obstacles, it was never released. Now, with the blessing of the Leigh family, this gem finally is available. One need not have any familiarity with the stage or film versions of Man of La Mancha to enjoy this excellent album, which is filled with hummable melodies and Elias' impressive, right-hand improv flourishes. Deftly avoiding sentimentality and cliché, the pianist has crafted a compelling samba arrangement of "The Impossible Dream" (one of the show's most often-interpreted tunes). Elias utilized the Brazilian rhythm of frevo in her arrangement of "A Little Gossip," which is spiced with an agile solo by Johnson. "I'm Only Thinking of Him," which features Gomez and DeJohnette, feels completely fresh in 2018." [10]
Christopher Loudon of JazzTimes commented "...it is an immensely lush album, a vibrant fusion of Elias' Brazilian verve and the music's Latin-meets-Broadway zest—from a shimmering "Dulcinea," gently roiling "It's All the Same" and stirringly contemplative "The Barber's Song," to a fiery, passionate "To Each His Dulcinea" and the Carnaval-esque rumpus of "A Little Gossip." And, yes, "Dream" is here: freed of the bombast pop vocalists have typically lent it, masterfully reimagined as a spirited samba". [11]
All music is composed by Mitch Leigh
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "To Each His Dulcinea" | 5:42 |
| 2. | "Dulcinea" | 5:34 |
| 3. | "What Does He Want of Me" | 6:43 |
| 4. | "The Barber's Song" | 5:08 |
| 5. | "It's All the Same" | 7:17 |
| 6. | "I'm Only Thinking of Him" | 5:04 |
| 7. | "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)" | 7:41 |
| 8. | "The Impossible Dream" | 5:48 |
| 9. | "A Little Gossip" | 4:31 |
| Total length: | 53:25 | |
Band
| Production
|
Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. It was originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615. Considered a founding work of Western literature, it is often labelled as the first modern novel and one of the greatest works ever written. Don Quixote is also one of the most-translated books in the world and one of the best-selling novels of all time.
Man of La Mancha is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay I, Don Quixote, which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes and his 17th-century novel Don Quixote. It tells the story of the "mad" knight Don Quixote as a play within a play, performed by Cervantes and his fellow prisoners as he awaits a hearing with the Spanish Inquisition. The work is not and does not pretend to be a faithful rendition of either Cervantes' life or Don Quixote. Wasserman complained repeatedly about people taking the work as a musical version of Don Quixote.
Dulcinea del Toboso is a fictional character who is unseen in Miguel de Cervantes' novel Don Quijote. Don Quijote believes he must have a lady, under the mistaken view that chivalry requires it. As he does not have one, he invents her, making her the very model of female perfection: "[h]er name is Dulcinea, her country El Toboso, a village of La Mancha, her rank must be at least that of a princess, since she is my queen and lady, and her beauty superhuman, since all the impossible and fanciful attributes of beauty which the poets apply to their ladies are verified in her; for her hairs are gold, her forehead Elysian fields, her eyebrows rainbows, her eyes suns, her cheeks roses, her lips coral, her teeth pearls, her neck alabaster, her bosom marble, her hands ivory, her fairness snow, and what modesty conceals from sight such, I think and imagine, as rational reflection can only extol, not compare".
Mitch Leigh was an American musical theatre composer and theatrical producer best known for the musical Man of La Mancha.
L'Homme de la Mancha is Jacques Brel's twelfth studio album. Released in 1968, it is the cast recording of the French adaptation of The Man of la Mancha by Mitch Leigh and Joe Darion. Brel adapted the book, translated the lyrics, directed the production, and played the role of Don Quixote. This was the only time he ever adapted songs by other writers or appeared in a stage musical. Joan Diener, who played Dulcinea in the original 1965 production, reprised the part in this production. The album was reissued on 23 September 2003 as part of the 16-CD box set Boîte à bonbons by Barclay.
Marc Alan Johnson is an American jazz bass player, composer and band leader. Johnson was born in Nebraska and grew up in Texas. He is married to the Brazilian jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias.
Edgar Gómez is a Puerto Rican jazz double bassist, known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio from 1966 to 1977.
Eliane Elias is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger.
Randal Edward Brecker is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock, and R&B.
Man of La Mancha is a 1972 film adaptation of the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha by Dale Wasserman, with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion. The musical was suggested by the classic novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, but more directly based on Wasserman's 1959 non-musical television play I, Don Quixote, which combines a semi-fictional episode from the life of Cervantes with scenes from his novel.
"Samba de uma Nota Só", known in English as "One Note Samba", is a bossa nova and jazz standard song composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with Portuguese lyrics by Newton Mendonça. The English lyrics were written by Jon Hendricks. It was first recorded by João Gilberto in 1960 for his album O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor.
Don Quixote (1933) is a British-French film adaptation of the classic Miguel de Cervantes novel, directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst, starring the famous operatic bass Feodor Chaliapin. Although the film stars Chaliapin, it is not an opera. However, he does sing four songs in it. It is the first sound film version of the Spanish classic. The supporting cast in the English version includes George Robey, René Donnio, Miles Mander, Lydia Sherwood, Renée Valliers, and Emily Fitzroy. The film was made in three versions—French, English, and German—with Chaliapin starring in all three versions.
Duduka Da Fonseca, born Eduardo Moreira Da Fonseca is a Brazilian jazz drummer who is a founding member of Trio da Paz with Romero Lubambo and Nilson Matta. He leads the Duduka da Fonseca Trio, with David Feldman and Guto Wirtti. Duduka is a resident of New York City.
So Nice is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis released through Mercury Records on September 16, 1966. The singer included a trio of musical numbers from Man of La Mancha in this set as well as songs from Funny Girl, Kismet, and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, shows that he had recognized on previous releases. Mathis also covers recent imports from France and Brazil and offers a rendition of a 1944 hit record as part of the mix.
Café is the stage name of Edson Aparecido da Silva, sometimes credited as Edson da Silva or Café da Silva, a percussionist, singer, composer, and music producer born in Villa Maria, São Paulo, Brazil. He moved to the U.S. in 1985.
Eliane Elias Sings Jobim is the thirteenth studio album by Brazilian jazz artist Eliane Elias. It was released on July 28, 1998 via Blue Note label. This is her second album solely dedicated to the works of Antônio Carlos Jobim after Eliane Elias Plays Jobim released in 1990.
Light My Fire is the twenty-first studio album by Brazilian jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias. It was released on May 31, 2011 by Concord Picante. On this record she performs mostly Brazilian songs, but also adds a couple of jazz standards and one or two famous rock and pop compositions. The Elias's song "What About the Heart " received a Grammy nomination for "Best Brazilian Song" in September 2011.
Dance of Time is a 2017 studio album by Brazilian jazz musician Eliane Elias. The album was recorded in Brazil and released on March 24, 2017 via Concord Records. This is her 25th album as a leader. Dance of Time received the Latin Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album at the 18th Annual Latin Grammy Awards.
Love Stories is a studio album by Brazilian jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias. The album was released by Concord on August 30, 2019.
