This year there have been two major female jazz vocalist releases, Jane Monheit's "Come Dream with Me" and the much hyped CD by Diana Krall's "Look of Love" on Verve. This one is as delightfully good, well sung, full of energy and finesse as Diana Krall's latest is static, lackluster, boring, especially disappointing as compared with her earlier CD's (see my reviews). Also, this is much better than Ms Monheit's previous CD, this one is clearly the best female Jazz vocal of the year.

Romantic, this one will warm the room this winter! Ms Monheit "sells" the songs, acts sexy, kittenish, then convincingly sad as each song calls for. Background, lead by Kenny Barron, Stan Getz longtime favorite pianist, is sympathethic and coy without being obtrusive. She includes the introduction to "Over the Rainbow" and "Hit the Road to Dreamland" that I had never heard. My only complaint, is song selection, she could have let out Jobim's pesty "Waters of March", but that's a very minor criticism.

You'll listen over and and over.
Good technical recording.

Should be a bestseller, if it isn't already. A CD worthy of 5 stars under my tough grading system. Highest recommendation.

Twenty-three-year-old Jane Monheit is a wonder. I first read about her in The New York Times Magazine, and while I thought the article was condescending, I bought her first CD. I loved the lovely, unforced elegance of her singing. This is a naturally rangey voice, its surface without a blemish, the vibrato natural-sounding, her musicianship impeccable (she received excellent training). Yes she reminded me of a young Ella, but with a smokier, more womanly sound. The singer I most thought of was Doris Day (who also credits Ella as an influence). But this new CD reveals a singer who is growing up very fast. She's got jazz chops, no doubt about it. "Blame it on my Youth" and "Hit the Road to Dreamland," are first-rate jazz vocals. But she also sings a deeply felt "A Case of You," a Joni Michell tune I'd never heard. So her folk chops are equal to her jazz. And she can torch eloquently as listeners will hear from her freshly minted performance of that hackneyed tune, "I'll Be Seeing You." There's also a splendidly realized Antonio Carlos Jobim tongue and breath twister, "Waters of March." Monheit's handlers have surrounded the young singer with a great musical group. Best cut on the CD "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most." Like so many young singers who learned music through their parent's record collections, Jane Monheit's versatility should not limit her to jazz alone. Watch out--this kid's singing is pushing her into "classic" status. Warmly recommended.

I fail to see why beauty and age should be factors in a review of any singer. Billie Holiday and Carmen Mcrae were not too hard on the eyes either, and they are legends of vocal jazz. Jane has a beautiful and very emotive voice. She has great phrasing and a stellar group of musicians accompanying her. Personally, I like my singers to be a little more bluesy and rough around the edges. Give me Cassandra Wilson (another beautiful woman), the late great Terri Thornton, or even the sweet and sassy relaxed vocals of Shirley Horn anyday. But I have no problem giving my kudos to Jane Monheit. A Case of You is one of my favourite Joni Mitchell songs, and I doff my hat to Jane's rendition. Diana Krall faced the same criticism that she was too young and good looking to be talented. Listen to the cd, if that voice of liquid honey backed by the great Kenny Barron, among others, does not move you , check for a pulse.

I first learned about this vocalist from an article in the Wall Street Journal, which extolled her singing. I agree-she has a bell-like, clear, in-tune voice (reminding me of Weslia Whitfield, a Cabaret type singer), sings the melody, enunciates lyrics clearly, and stays away from gimmickry, too common among modern jazz singers. Her backup musicians are outstanding, Kenny Baron and company; another plus for this CD. However, I have some reservations about the CD. There are some producer "enhancements" including violin background and dubbed electronic duets which I found distracting and unnecessary for a singer with this talent. The unencumbered cuts are excellent. Her first CD, "Never,Never Land" is first class (5 stars and no gimmicry or add-ons). I have compared her to Stacy Kent (the "Tender Trap", which is excellent, but her voice is too nasal for my liking) and Tierney Sutton (who hasn't reached her peak as yet). Both of these CDs are worth having because of the first class talent displayed. But if I were to choose only one, "Never, Never Land" gets my vote. My background: I am an old jazz collector that goes back to the 40's.

As a relatively new listener of jazz (about 2 years) I don't have much to offer by the way of criticism. My main interest recently has been the jazz giants such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane. However, similar to the way I immediately loved Davis' Kind of Blue and Coltrane's Giant Steps, I have instantly fallen in love with Come Dream with Me. Don't misunderstand, I wouldn't be so bold as to say this is an all-time great recording. I am simply saying that I have listened to it several times and I liked it from the first, and I like it more and more with each listen. Monheit has a beautiful voice and the music is beautiful. Her supporting cast is a talented and experienced group. She especially shows off her talent in the songs Waters of March and Something to Live For and she brings a fresh sound to Over the Rainbow.

If you want to add some beauty to your day, listen to this CD. I am looking forward to a long and successful career out of Monheit. I hope she stays with jazz and doesn't sell out to Pop, although I am sure she can sing anything and make it sound beautiful.