Customer Reviews

Never Neverland

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

Miss Monheit is an extroadinary singer. Her voice is strong, clear, and immediately attention getting. I suppose she is an "alto", and a very, very good one. I don't know how a 22 year old gets Kenny Barron (piano), Ron Carter(bass), Lewis Nash(drums), Hank Crawford (alto sax), David Newman (tenor sax), and Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar), to play behind her on a debut album. These gentlemen KNOW how to play jazz, and Miss Monheit KNOWS how to sing jazz. Her disc "Never Never Land" is made up of about equal parts of ballads and faster, more swinging songs like "Please Be Kind", "My Foolish Heart", and "Twisted". While I prefer the faster paced selections, every song is a winner. The back up band does an outstanding job of remiinding you that you are listening to great jazz music, while at the same time not getting in the way of the warm, sensual, romantic voice of Jane Monheit. She won second place a few years ago at the Thelonious Monk International Vocal Competition. I'd really like to hear a CD by the first place winner! There are few artists whose CD's I would buy without hearing some of the music first. I will buy Jane Monheit's next CD without hesitation, without hearing a note. "Never Never Land" has top notch sonics, too. Her voice very well recorded, and the recording overall is "audiophile" quality. Miss Monheit should have a wonderful career ahead of her, she is the most talented new young singer (jazz or otherwise) I have heard in a long long time. Buy her CD, you WON'T be disappointed. Her photographs in the liner notes are't hard to look at either.

A beautiful album and especially suprising from someone so young. Jane Monheit has one of the most captivating voices I've heard in a long time.

This woman's voice is nearly flawless. She lands spot on every note with a clear clean tone that communicates cool. She uses dynamics beautifully from her husky whisper through her bell-like middle volume to the soaring power of her loudest passages. She lets us know which passages she considers intimate and which she considers to be a joyful proclamation. Her singing always sounds effortless, even her loudest high notes never sound forced or strained ... she sings easy, the way jazz should be sung.

A few of her musical phrases are almost too polished taking on more of a classical air, but Jane swings so well that it doesn't sound contrived. I found it remarkable that I could easily understand every lyric, even the rapid-fire of "Twisted", she even enunciates perfectly.

Jazz is the music of ideas and Jane has wonderful ideas. She thinks well on her feet, improvising with beautiful taste. It is obvious that she can flawlessly produce whatever sound comes into her head and this gives her singing great confidence, she knows she can go wherever she wants to go. Her ideas are recognizable as having been derived from earlier artists (I mostly recognized Ella and Carmen McRae) but she adds enough to make them fresh and interesting.

The one area where she is perhaps somewhat limited for now is interpretation. Ballads and happy swinging tunes about love she communicates with great conviction. But in my opinion she missed the sly humor and satire of "Twisted", she didn't really act the part. That however, seems a small point considering the power of this new singer.

A superlative debut cd by Ms.Monheit whose voice is lithe,sensual and soothing to the ear.With impeccable phrasing,timing,intonation and warmth, she has the ability to get inside the page the notes are written on;giving a soul to the song and a meaning to the listener. With an outstanding backup of such notables as Kenny Barron,David (Fat Head ) Newman,Bucky Pizzarelli,Ron Carter and Lewis Nash, this young singer shows her musicianship and gets the respect back from these jazz veterans with their wonderful sound. The refreshing renditions of "Please Be Kind" swings you into the cd asking for more only to be happily rewarded with such numbers as the soulful "Detour Ahead", "Never Let Me Go",and "Never Never Land", the title song that transforms you to a place where dreams are born. Her upbeat songs are fun and rythmic while her ballads blow you away.With the absence of Ella,Sarah,and Billie, we're long overdue for a talent such as Ms. Monheits', who has only just begun! A remarkable cd, Buy it! You'll never let it go.

Every once in a while, I hear an unfamiliar performer on the radio who grabs my attention and I start looking for their recordings. Never, however, has a new performer so blown me away with just a few snippets that I just had to buy their CD that same day. Never, that is, until I heard an interview with Jane Monheit on National Public Radio on one recent morning.</p>

Those people who have given this CD a negative review are missing the point. No, Jane Monheit is not as good as Billie or Ella or Anita in their prime, but she is every bit as good as they were at the same point in their careers, if not better. Bille, Ella, and the others did not burst onto the musical world full-blown. They matured into the great artists that they eventually became. The same goes for Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra. If you need proof, just listen to their earliest recordings.</p>

Why would such top-flight jazz musicians as those on this CD want to participate in the debut album of a still immature new singer? I suspect that it is the same reason why Benny Goodman, Count Basie, and Teddy Wilson took an interest in the immature Billie Holiday or Tommy Dorsey hired the as-yet-unproven Frank Sinatra. They saw talent, musicianship, and potential. Great musicians are at their best when they are with other great musicians, so they seek each other out.</p>

I am excited not only by what I hear from the 22-year-old Jane Monheit today but what I expect to hear from her in the future. If she is this good at 22, I can't wait to hear what she will be doing at 32.</p>

This is an excellent debut album. The reviewer on this page who dismissed Jane as a corporate product ought to realize that EVERY great female jazz singer has started out commercial! What's important is that Jane has the kind of sound that instantly wakes up an audience. Time after time, I've seen her galvanize a room full of people who, before she stood up to sing, were barely aware that there were musicians on stage. Such a commanding presence, especially in such a young musician, is the envy of every artist, young or old, who gets a chance to see her perform. What she does that gift, she has a whole lifetime to work out -- but the gift itself is undeniable. As other reviewers have pointed out, she has astounding technique and an exceptional harmonic knowledge, but she is always tasteful. And she can really drive a band, rhythmically. You really must check her out live.

You don't have to be an expert to know that there is a difference! I don't come from a musical background, and I can't carry a tune in a CD case, but when I heard Jane Monheit, I knew that this was a rare, emotional, and genuine vocal talent. I first heard Jane Monheit when she was interviewed by Susan Stamberg on NPR for Morning Edition of August 21, 2000. I was tempted to just stop the car right then and there to listen to this tremendous singer. It is easy to see why she garnered some of the greatest jazz musicians in the world today to back her up on her first CD. Who would not want to be on this winning team? Her treatment of the old standby "More Than You Know," sets the pace for all singers to follow. Monheit's vocal control and pure style is aptly demonstrated in the unforgettable "Never Neverland." This it truly a remarkable moment in modern music, it is the start of what I hope will be a long and remarkable career. If you buy only one CD this year, let it be "Never Neverland

What an amazing find. The listener can tell that her major influence was Ella but I can also detect a bit of Keely Smith also. The singing is clean, crisp and sparkling throughout. When she wants to set a mood she does so. I hope another release comes sooner than later.

Singing with a clear tone which is reminiscent of Ella yet wholly original, Jane has released a set which should establish her as one of the premiere young jazz singers. On Never Never Land, Jane handles a mix of medium swingers and latin tunes wonderfully, but she seems to really find her voice in the ballad. She interprets such classics as I Got it Bad and That Ain't Good and Never Let Me Go with maturity and beauty. I definitely look forward to her next release.

This artist is incredible! Jane Monheit has a luscious voice, great musicianship, a wide stylistic range, and, most of all, an expressive and deep soul. Her intonation on the a cappella intro to "I've Got it Bad" is perfect, and she has a touching and tender quality for the body of the song. Gave me goosebumps! "Dindi" is mellow and lush, "Please Be Kind" sassy and direct, "Detour Ahead" quiet and intense, while "Never Let Me Go" displays a purity and almost operatic richness that set this singer apart. Then, she adds another surprise by turning in an almost funky rendition of "Save Your Love for Me." Quite a feat. Jane's diction is crystal clear, and her voice never sounds distorted or harsh. Jane meshes very well with her excellent band, swinging and soaring with these great players. In all, this is a terrific album. I look forward to hearing more from this talented artist!

After perusing the various reviews from "Jazz Times","The Wall Street Journal","The Village Voice"-Review Of the Village Vanguard and several other newspapers around the country, this artist tweeked my interest enough to buy the cd. May I just say,The reviews are correct...She is a young artist with a gift to be reconned with.What a marvelous voice!So clear and lyrical.This cd is beautifully orchestrated and gives you pleasurable listening.There is not one song that you want to skip over.I hope to hear many more cd's from this young musician .Her lilting voice is able to carry any style whether it's swing, blues,soulful or samba-esque.I will venture to say ,we will be seeing a lot more of Jane Monheit and we should. This cd is quite a find!