Jane Monheit Lovers, The Dreamers, And Me CD

Personnel: Jane Monheit (vocals).
Audio Mixer: James Farber.
Audio Remasterer: Mark Wilder.
As demonstrated on albums such as 2004's TAKING A CHANCE ON LOVE and 2007's SURRENDER, Jane Monheit is possessed of an enchantingly cool, yet technically precise, vocal style that is beautifully suited to both contemporary pop and jazz standards. THE LOVERS, THE DREAMERS, AND ME, Monheit's seventh release, provides further evidence of her charm and talent. Taking on tunes by Cole Porter and Jimmy Dorsey, as well as Fiona Apple and Paul Simon, Monheit dazzles on a sophisticated, swinging vocal jazz outing.
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 WidranJazzTimes (p.89) - "The real revelation here is her handling of Ivan Lins' 'No Tomorrow.' Monheit navigates the lyrics' emotional tug-of-war with a sagacity and sophistication worthy of Peggy Lee at her best.
Record Collector (magazine) (p.93) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "Her voice is maturing nicely and hits the ground running with Corinne Bailey Rae's 'Like A Star'..."