Dreamer

by John BushEliane Elias' second record for Bluebird is, like the previous Kissed by Nature, a vocal date intended for crossover audiences. Elias connects with her Brazilian pop heritage by choosing to sing, early on, a pair of Astrud Gilberto pieces, "Call Me" and "So Nice (Summer Samba)," both of which fortuitously suit the short range of her voice. Still, she speaks far more with a half-minute of piano soloing than she does with several minutes of vocal interpretation, and sounds far more comfortable taking an extra verse of the latter in Portuguese. Unlike the Gilberto tracks, Elias succeeds on two Antonio Carlos Jobim compositions, "Photograph" and the title song, her voice ironically betraying her in the same seductive fashion that Jobim himself made a hallmark. Her solos, though beautiful and contemplative, are short and usually hug the shore. As an overall musician, Elias has sure instincts when playing or singing, and compensates for her lack of vocal strength by rarely lingering on her notes.