One highlight of Mirror, Mirror, the latest album by Eliane Elias, is a marvelous duet with her fellow pianist Chick Corea, who died early this year. The duet is a version of his classic tune “Armando’s Rhumba,” recorded at Yamaha Artist Services in midtown Manhattan.
Elias recently revisited that moment in the same space, to kick off the sixth season of the WBGO Yamaha Salon concert series. Joined by her partner, bassist Marc Johnson, she performed a multimedia tribute to Corea’s artistry and legacy, along with several other artists who share a connection to him.
The evening, hosted by Mid-Day Jazz host Brian Delp, marked our highly anticipated return to live musical presentation. (The previous WBGO Yamaha Salon, featuring Allison Miller and Carmen Staaf, took place on Feb. 26, 2020, a couple of weeks before lockdown in New York.)
"It was an exciting and, as you'll see, emotional experience for us to return to the Yamaha Piano Salon after so many months away," says Delp. "And who better than the duo of Eliane Elias and Marc Johnson, who knew Chick Corea so well, to help us pay tribute to him? As we're able to increase the audience size to pre-pandemic levels, we hope to see more of you at what are going to be monthly events. In the meantime, enjoy this very special performance — I know I did!"
For Elias, who was born and raised in Brazil, the concert presented a choice opportunity to honor Corea, an NEA Jazz Master who never tired of mentoring up-and-comers. “He always had an eye on young musicians and was always supportive of young and new talent coming up,” Elias tells Delp during the program, “and I felt that as a young musician when I came to this country.”