The curious blend of pianist Eliane Elias with conductor and arranger Bob Brookmeyer leading the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra makes for a surprising mix. Brookmeyer, long established as one of the top jazz writers and a phenomenal valve trombonist to boot, was not familiar with the recordings of the Brazilian keyboardist, but he was clearly up to the challenge of scoring her music. Brookmeyer gives Just Kiddin' a big and bold post-bop treatment, with an underlying funky rhythm and a bit of electronics thrown in for fun. Elias and Brookmeyer share the solo spotlight in the breezy setting of her ballad So in Love. Far more low-key is Moments, with sparse piano lines backed by Brookmeyer's rich scoring for the brass and a fine solo by flugelhornist Henrik Bolberg Pedersen. The exotic, high-energy setting of The Time Is Now is a more modern bossa nova, showcasing Elias and Brookmeyer, along with bassist Thomas Ovesen and drummer Jonas Johansen. One Side of You is a haunting ballad made more so by Brookmeyer's brilliant arrangement. This session may throw a bit of a curve to longtime fans of either Eliane Elias or Bob Brookmeyer, but this successful CD is very much an ear opener. ~ Ken Dryden, Rovi

1		Just Kiddin'
2		So in Love
3		Moments
4		The Time Is Now
5		One Side of You
6		Inpulsive!