Jane Monheit Albums (7)
'The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me'
Release Date 1/20/2009
Tracks 26
Label Concord
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What The Critics Say
The beautifully subtle pop/jazz vocalist has been one of the great old souls of music since launching her recording career after winning the first runner up prize at the 1998 Thelonious Monk Institute Vocal Competition. But she celebrated the significant chronological milestone of passing 30 while making this graceful and exquisite album. Beyond that, Monheit also celebrates her new motherhood to son Jack, and that's what inspired the inclusion of the always welcome "Rainbow Connection"; she sings the charming song -- and its lyrics that inspired the name of the recording -- to Jack all the time. At home, however, it doesn't have the exquisite Gil Goldstein accordion touch that makes this one of the best renditions ever. Goldstein arranged many of the tracks, but one of the most exciting jazzy turns, Monheit's swinging, swaggering "Get Out of Town," was done by pianist Michael Kanan, who was part of the ensemble that recorded half of these tracks while the singer was still pregnant. In many ways, then, this 13-track collection is a chronicle of the singer pre- and post-motherhood -- and all something that Jack will be proud of as he grows older. As always, the key to a great interpreter's project is the choice of material, and Monheit makes interesting picks, ranging from a wistful take on Paul Simon's "I Do It for Your Love" to Fiona Apple's dark and haunting "Slow Like Honey" and Corinne Bailey Rae's "Like a Star." She also mines her traditional comfort zone with songs by Cole Porter, Jimmy Dorsey, and Leonard Bernstein, but taps into even richer emotions with Ivan Lins' "Acaso" and the bubbling samba "A Primeira Vez." Another triumphant set, no matter what side of 30 or motherhood Monheit is on. ~ Jonathan Widran, All Music Guide
'Surrender'
Release Date 1/1/2007
Tracks 10
Label Concord Music Group
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What The Critics Say
At once crisply assertive and lovingly sensual, vocalist Jane Monheit is the jazz equivalent of the young and charming grade school teacher you secretly nurtured a crush on. A sophisticated bombshell of a performer with a voice that is, like her appearance, voluptuous and flawlessly pretty, Monheit has garnered well-earned comparisons to such icons as Ella Fitzgerald and the goddess of vocal pop, Barbra Streisand. In that sense, her sixth studio album, Surrender, is, at first glance, not dissimilar from her past work. Recorded with her working combo including husband and drummer Rick Montalbano, Surrender is a ballads-heavy album that features a mix of jazz standards, reworked pop tunes, and several bossa nova numbers. What is different is the focus and presentation of Monheit. Rather than featuring her here simply as a singer fronting a jazz band, Surrender is a cinematic showcase, a Broadway-sized coming-out party that finds Monheit's voice framed against sweeping orchestration and glossy, Technicolor arrangements. This is Monheit the vocal diva, the superstar. ~ Matt Collar, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Jane Monheit followed her 2004 Sony debut, Taking a Chance on Love, with the Christmas album The Season. It's an inevitable release. Monheit's star has risen consistently -- she's one of the darlings (or saviors) of contemporary vocal jazz alongside artists like Madeleine Peyroux and Norah Jones -- so something as pretty and easily salable as The Season ensures even more name recognition. Which is just fine. Monheit's rich, if mannered delivery is perfect for the classics ("Sleighride," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), and her interpretations of "I Love the Winter Weather/I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" (where Ella Fitzgerald's influence is strong) and the Carpenters ("Merry Christmas Darling") mix striking professionalism with a gentle, breathy swagger that's pretty endearing. Monheit worked with her usual quartet for The Season, though the arrangement for "Merry Christmas Darling" is filled out with a string section and the horns on "The Man with the Bag" combine with Monheit's winsome, scatting vocal to really take it out of time. Is this 2005 or a classic Perry Como special? The Season is a nice holdover for Monheit, a chance to have some fun with some standards while keeping her name and wonderful voice top of mind. ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Jane Monheit's third album attempts to combine a number of elements: jazz standards, Brazilian repertoire, ballads lushly orchestrated by Alan Broadbent and Vince Mendoza, and even pop vehicles originally sung by Linda Ronstadt and Judy Collins. The young vocalist is usually at her best fronting a small combo; here one wishes she had relied more on her working band with pianist Michael Kanan, bassist Joe Martin, tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm, and drummer/husband Rick Montalbano. It is they who provide this record's most rewarding moments: Martin reharmonizes Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me"; Kanan presents a funky take on "Cheek to Cheek" and duets with Monheit on an unusually slow "Tea for Two." On these tracks one can hear Monheit taking vocal risks, testing her mettle with bluesy inflections and bold peaks in volume. Much of the rest of the album is closer to Streisand than Sarah Vaughan, however. The final four tracks bog down in slow tempos and a vanilla-syrup aesthetic; her Portuguese-language rendition of Ivan Lins' "Comecar de Novo" seems especially contrived. But her duet with guitarist Rene Toledo on "Chega de Saudade" is more convincing, and Lins' guest appearance on his own "Once I Walked in the Sun" provides some lilting harmonic tensions. ~ David R. Adler, All Music Guide
'Come Dream with Me'
Release Date 5/22/2001
Tracks 12
Label N-Coded/Warlock
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What The Critics Say
Jane Monheit's sophomore outing follows in the same accessible mold as her debut, Never Never Land. The young, fairly green vocalist is joined again by all-star musicians, including renowned pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Greg Hutchinson, with Michael Brecker and Tom Harrell making a handful of guest appearances each. Closing the album on a surprising note, African phenom Richard Bona joins for an intimate duo rendition of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You," playing acoustic guitar accompaniment and overdubbing fretless bass filigree behind Monheit's vocal. Monheit's exquisite voice is becoming more seasoned and expressive, particularly on sassier numbers like "Hit the Road to Dreamland" and "I'm Through with Love." She also wraps her seductive charm around Jobim's swaying free-association poem "Waters of March" and takes on two of jazz's grand ballads, Billy Strayhorn's "Something to Live For" and Fran Landesman's "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most." The latter, a duet with Kenny Barron, prompts one to compare and contrast Chaka Khan's rendition with Chick Corea on 1982's Echoes of an Era. "Blame It on My Youth," "I'll Be Seeing You," and "Over the Rainbow" are pleasant but less remarkable. (The hidden 12th track, which features Monheit as a child croaking her way a cappella through "Over the Rainbow," is a harmless bit of self-indulgence.) There are a number of textural enhancements that distinguish this album from its predecessor, including subtle overdubbed background vocals, unobtrusive string orchestrations by Bill Fisher, and general arranging input from the superb young pianist David Berkman. With the Joni Mitchell tune and also with "If," a '70s soft rock hit by Bread, Monheit complicates her image as a retro jazz classicist, which earned her some rather severe critical drubbing when she broke onto the scene in 2000. ~ David R. Adler, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Jane Monheit, at 22 years old, has made a stunning debut with the help of some of the finest players in the world: Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Lewis Nash, David "Fathead" Newman, Hank Crawford, and Bucky Pizzarelli. From her first entrance on the supremely swinging "Please Be Kind," Monheit makes clear that she's the boss, even in such illustrious company. Her voice is about as close to flawless as a human can get, yet she's never coldly technical or aloof. While she's perfectly comfortable with the medium swing tempos of "More Than You Know," "Save Your Love for Me," and "Twisted," as well as the Latin groove of "My Foolish Heart," it are the ballads that really showcase Monheit's gift. If you don't get goosebumps listening to "Detour Ahead," "Never Let Me Go," and "Dindi," you probably don't have a pulse. The somewhat nostalgic thrust of Monheit's repertoire and style might prove a liability over time. In this sense, the equally young Claudia Acuña, who has displayed considerable arranging and writing chops, is a step ahead of her. Yet Monheit's budding musical adventurousness is made evident by her subtle vocal overdubs toward the end of "Dindi." Her revelatory approach to classic songs is highlighted by her a cappella performance of the seldom-heard introductory verse to "I've Got It Bad." But on future albums, lest she fall into a retro rut, she'll need to work on realizing her potential as a musical risk taker. ~ David R. Adler, All Music Guide
