Jane Monheit, Michael Buble - Taking a Chance on Love

On her fourth album, Taking A Chance On Love, singer Jane Monheit makes her leap to the majors and the fit is a good one. As she's proven on past efforts, Monheit is a traditional stylist who expertly mines American standards by balancing pop's accessible sensibility and jazz's rich complexity. The material could be, and has been, in worse hands than Monheit's--her exceptional technique again brings these songs to life without taking liberties with structure, melody or odd arrangements. It's her exceptional execution, tonal palette, and phrasing that gives these songs a sense of artistry. She also gets subtle support from an impressive cast of sidemen (including guest singer Michael Buble, bassists Ron Carter and Christian McBride, and guitarist Romero Lubambo) in a variety of contexts, ranging from jazz combos to orchestra to vocal-and-single-instrument duets. Highlights include the tender "Embraceable You," the lushly orchestrated "Dancing in Dark" and the jaunty bebop version of "Honeysuckle Rose." –-Tad Hendrickson Amazon.com

Jane impressive with a touch of Ella

There are many people who seem to like Diana Krall but I've always found her pianistic skills more inviting than her vocal chops. Not so with Jane Monheit, she may not play piano but she sure can seduce me with her voice. There are some lovely tunes from the Great American Songbook plus the Fats Waller ditty, "Honeysuckle Rose", but the best track that is representative of Monheit at her best is Porter's "In the Still of the Night". With a sweet guitar into and then a great string arrangement, Monheit glides into this tune with phrasing reminscent of Ella Fitzgerald, probably her main influence and not a bad one at that!! If you want an introduction to her music, do check this one out. October 19, 2008

A rare find...

I bought this CD for my husband, as we love Michael Buble and heard a duet with Jane and thought it was lovely. She has such a clear voice on this CD, it is heavenly and fantastic quality. We have bought a few new Artist's CD's this month and she ranks as one of the best. Would definitely buy another CD. If you like classical jazz with the sweetest of voices, then you have found your treasure... January 14, 2008

Incredible disk, every track is a gem! A++++!

A wonderful disk, that pulls from the golden age of movies and musicals -the 1930's and 40's. Ms. Monheit's taste in material is only matched byt her vocal ability. If there are rivals out there in the industry today, I'm not aware of them - wonderful! January 9, 2008

Great CD. I would recommend it.

This is a great CD. You won 't be taking any chances if you buy Janet Monheit's Taking a Chance on Love. December 8, 2007

Monheit front and center

Jane Monheit can take a song and massage the lyrics to make that song her own. This CD does indeed prove to be stronger than one or two of her previous albums; and Michael Bublé helps Jane on a very well done duet of "I Won't Dance." Excellent!

"Honeysuckle Rose" starts the CD track set; this jazzy number accentuates the bass although Jane's vocals remain front and center. Jane sings this with passion and her subtle tempo changes impress me. The arrangement for piano works wonders as Jane continues to swing through this number all the while showing off her wide vocal range. Great! Yes, I can see how some people would say she sings words rather than the song the words belong to--but Jane's artistry works for me.

"In The Still Of The Night" shifts gears for a slower paced love ballad with great guitar, strings and flute. Jane sings this without a superfluous note. "Taking A Chance On Love" begins with Michael Kanan playing some great piano and when Jane comes in the number positively takes flight! Jane delivers "Taking A Chance On Love" to perfection and the musical arrangement works wonders to bolster Jane's vocals. Awesome! The alto saxophone solo by Donald Harrison works well, too.

Jane's duet with Michael Bublé on "I Won't Dance" is a highlight of this album; their voices complement each other perfectly. Listen for Lewis Nash on drums and Rob Mounsey's piano playing is sublime! Both Jane and Michael are in excellent form for "I Won't Dance." The musical interlude sports a big band retro flavor but this only adds to the beauty of the number. "Why Can't You Behave?" gives Jane another opportunity to sing a love ballad; she sings of the pain her character feels when her man is not faithful to her. The tempo and chord changes for "Why Can't You Behave?" make this a strong number; Michael Kanan is back on piano and Rick Montalbano does a great job on drums. Orlando Le Fleming's bass solo is nothing short of sublime!

"Love Me Or Leave Me" sports a jazzy flavor and Jane goes to town as she infuses "Love Me Or Leave Me" with passion and style. "Embraceable You" begins with a rarely heard opening verse; and when the number truly starts Jane does great justice to "Embraceable You!" Romero Lubambo plays guitar to perfection as Jane croons this flawlessly. "Embraceable You" is a highlight of this album.

The bonus track displays Jane's bravery as she performs "Over The Rainbow." Jane can't do it as well as Judy Garland; but I'll give her a "brownie point" for having the courage to try this ballad. The orchestration is beautiful and Jane sings this wistfully and soulfully.

The liner notes include the song credits and great photos of Jane with the other artists who perform on this album. Jane herself provides a brief essay about how she loves these classic numbers. The artwork is excellent.

Jane Monheit remains a force in the entertainment industry; and I highly recommend this for her fans. People who enjoy classic jazz vocals and classic pop vocals will also love this album for years to come.

Enjoy!
August 26, 2007

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