ELEW’s collaboration with Lil Wayne on “IANAHB,” the opening track on the rapper’s I Am Not A Human Being II, has been getting rave reviews from a variety of influential music magazines and blogs. Below are just a few of our favorite quotes from the coverage.
XXL: “Wayne’s always been great at opening his album, and the opener here certainly sets a tone. Over some experimental improvisation by jazz pianist Eric Robert Lewis, Wayne stretches out with some rhyme calisthenics and snarls his way through the nearly 6-minute track. This is Wayne at his most innovative, going heads-up with an equally unique musician and working off one another like jazz improvisers.”
Spin: “Opening track ‘IANAHB’is the highlight and sole true head-spinner, the lone moment to reach those dizzying Wayne-we-all-loved heights. As quasi-classy piano twinkles, he mind-melds with an increasingly avant-garde plink-plonk figure…It’s a creative take on the does-a-lot-of-drugs, bitches-ain’t-shit hip-hop upon which he’s increasingly reliant.”
Consequence Of Sound: “‘IANAHB’ is a striking five minutes of Weezy riffing verse after verse to some impressive piano soloing by producer/pianist ELEW…The track is an unexpected blitz, and one of his more memorable recordings to date.”
Hit The Floor: “Kicking off the set, the intro and title track doesn’t just perfectly represent the album, but is also the definitive Lil Wayne experience. Jazz pianist ELEW, is credited as producer, but should be given a larger credit of collaborator. He creates a moody instrumental that builds and twists, with Wayne confidently striding in at every turn. This track hints at the next level.”
This week, ELEW will be shooting a music video for his original composition ‘Complexions’ from ELEW Rockjazz Vol. 2. Since the song was originally inspired by his prior collaborations with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, he has invited nine members of the renowned dance company to appear in the video. ELEW is the official composer-in-residence for CCB, and he and Choreographer/Co-Founder Dwight Rhoden are currently working on their third collaborative piece. Stay tuned for more information on these developments.
ELEW is going to be celebrating this weekend’s Presidential Inauguration with two special performances at his favorite
DC haunt: HR-57. The Washington City Paper has a special feature about the upcoming performance: read it here.
ELEW’s continued affiliation with Summit Series has been one of shared respect and admiration, and the bond between ELEW and Summit has only deepened since he began 2012 with a performance at Summit Basecamp in Squaw Valley, CA. Now, ELEW’s first performance(s) of 2013 will taking place this month at the Entrepreneur Camp at Summit Eden, Summit’s new home on Powder Mountain in Eden, UT. ELEW is proud to be a part of this exciting tradition-in-the-making—what better way to inaugurate each New Year than with the great minds at Summit Series?
Last week, ELEW journeyed to Miami for his second annual appearance at the Art Basel Festival. In addition to three late night performances at the Delano South Beach Hotel (one of which was attended by Kanye West), he also participated in this year’s edition of Pop Up Piano Miami, which consisted of a series of pop-up performances by different pianists at eight pianos from Steinway & Sons Miami strategically placed across the Wynwood, Midtown Miami, Downtown Miami, and Design District areas. Read Miami.com’s coverage of ELEW’s Art Basel trip at this link.
This evening, ELEW’s most recent collaboration with Complexions Contemporary Ballet-his second project with the company and the first since he was announced as its official Composer In Residence-will premiere at the Joyce Theater as one of two new works in Complexions’ 2012 New York Season. Entitled Subject To Change, this adventurous piece sets Dwight Rhoden’s bold choreography against ELEW’s signature rendition of Linkin Park’s ‘Crawling’ from ELEW Rockjazz Vol. 2. Read the New York Times listing of the event at this link.
Subject To Change will be performed a total of ten times at the Joyce Theater – at all dates from Nov. 13th through Nov 18th, and at the 2PM matinees on November 24th and 25th.
HBO subscribers should make sure to tune into Boardwalk Empire on Sunday September 23 at 9PM EST – everyone’s favorite Rockjazz Pianist will be making a special guest appearance on the critically acclaimed Prohibition-era drama.
As of today, ELEW Rockjazz Vol. 2 is now available for download on iTunes!
The album is also on sale at Amazon, Google Play, and all other major online retailers.
Over the next several days, it will become available for streaming on Spotify, Rhapsody, and other services.
Physical copies of the album are coming soon – stay tuned to this section of the website for more developments.
Last Year, ELEW collaborated with ESPN Films to lend a filmed live performance of his hit cover of “Sweet Home Alabama” to Roll Tide/War Eagle, Martin Khodabakhshian’s riveting documentary on the College Football rivalry between Auburn and Alabama. The program aired last November on ESPN as part of the channel’s ’30 For 30′ documentary series. Now, this exciting film has been made available for steaming on Netflix Instant Play.
ELEW has collaborated with Hip-Hop Superstar Lil Wayne on an as-of-yet untitled track that will be the first song on I Am Not A Human Being II–the rapper’s much-anticipated next album. More details to come!