Pianist, vocalist, composer and arranger Eliane Elias is currently enjoying a well-deserved purple patch following a Grammy for Made in Brazil (2015) and a Latin Grammy for Dance of Time (2017). Her 26th album is something a little out of the ordinary: an instrumental reimagining of tunes from the iconic musical Man of La Mancha, created at the request of the Tony-winning composer of the musical, Mitch Leigh. Originally recorded in 1995, but shelved due to contractual issues, it’s an absolute delight that Concord have managed to unearth it from the vaults. The album sees Elias in the company of two different rhythm sections, one featuring her working trio at the time, Marc Johnson on bass and Satoshi Takeishi on drums, the other featuring bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Percussionist Manolo Badrena plays with both groups, appearing on eight of the album’s nine tracks. From the scenesetting ‘To Each His Dulcinea’, which Elias completely reinvents with gorgeous reharmonisations and new intro/outro sections, to the pulsating groove of ‘A Little Gossip’, Elias’s playing is both joyous and charismatic, while the rhapsodic, hyper-romantic take on ‘The Impossible Dream’ is one of the most beautiful cuts in her impressive discography.