Jane Monheit's latest album has just come out, and like the one before that, it's bland. What happened to this talent we had such hope for?
When Come Dream With Me came out four years ago, Jane was only 23 years old. Somehow she convinced some of the finest musicians in jazz to be her side men and she recorded a remarkable album that started with this recording of Over the Rainbow. Listen carefully. Turn off your email, lower the lights, and really listen.
Kenny Barron is one of my favorite pianists (we'll get to Glenn Gould in a later post) and his comping here is both simple and elegant, both tasteful and tasty. Chistian McBride's bass provides perfect support. Oh yeah, and there's that singer. Jane is just a kid, but she totally commits to this song written for another kid with a remarkable voice back in the 30s. Sure, she swoops and maybe even shows off a little, but you buy it because it's completely sincere. Her perfect intonation doesn't hurt either. It's one of the best jazz cuts of the past decade, and it's not even really jazz.
She has never recorded with such great musicians again, preferring her younger band. Her arrangements have never been as good. She's never sounded as confident.
And yet I am confident she will become not just a star but an important musician. That sincerity I mentioned has never left her. Her musical sensibility has wandered a bit, but the spark remains. She believes in the music and she makes me believe in her.
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