Customer Reviews

In the Sun

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

First, let me say that I LOVE Jane.

I've listened to her first two Cds over and over and over and over and...

But this one, Oy Vey...

Maybe it was the pressure to avoid being "pigeonholed" or something, but this one just does NOT do a thing for me.

I love her voice, she really could sing the phone book and make it sound good. But where is the "More Than You Know" or "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most" on this one???

I listened to this one ONE time and put it away for 6 months. I just took it out again, on the off chance that I was maybe too passioniate about her first two to judge this one properly...

Sorry to say, but I just don't dig this one anywhere near as much as her other two. Maybe it IS because the first two were so powerful, so amazing, I don't know...

I WANT to like this one, I really do. But I am 8 tracks into an 11 track CD and I only count 2 "keepers". I feel like a traitor, but I just can't recommend this one anywhere close to her first two.

Hanging my head, and hoping her next one goes back to being awesome,

Frank

What can you say? Ms. Monheit has dropped down on us as a fully developed talent capable of singing anything she wants with a sense of total ease. Sold-out at Tanglewood Jazz show last summer ( only her and Sonny Rollins ). Been at Boston Symphany Hall with the Boston Pops for a taped PBS special, 3 CD's, 2 cuts on Les Browns big band, played for a week at the Village Vanguard this summer. Terance Blachard's CD 2 cuts with three other jazz singers.... oh yeah she just turned 25.
Her version of Joni Mitchell's A Case of You is so close to the original that it is hard to tell them apart. (And I've heard them both sung live) Love Has No Pride on this album is equal to the version by Linda Rondstadt. Sentimental Journey on Les Browns Jr.'s Session 55 CD is the best I've ever heard. Her vocal clarity, honesty to the original score (except for the scat at the end), and the fact that it was a live one-take in front of the band at the Capital Studio sound stage shows her versatility and talent.
On stage she is approachable, fun loving, coquettish, a tease, obviously enjoys performing and takes more liberties and is relaxed similar to Diana Krall's style. You don't get much of that on her CD's. Live, she acknowledges that he tries to keep to the original composers intent. However, even doing that she delivers a vocal lesson unmatched by any current widely known artist. Hear her sing three notes on the word "the" without pretense or ackwardness. Unbelievable! Almost every syllable is sung.
After a concert, I asked her about the lack on a Grammy nom. She told me she missed by 2 votes last year. But if she won one in the future she would appreciate it more... no diva here, just talent.
In The Sun features her best selection of songs yet; she went to Brazil this year and loved it - so why not a little Brazillian? She just makes it seem so easy; its like Mike Jordon or Barry Bonds, they're at one level and everyone else plays the game differently. Buy this CD or not, I've got mine and tickets to her show at Harvard this November.

This is not a bad recording, but certainly suffers in comparision to her two earlier efforts, especially "Come Dream With Me" which raised the bar high enough that anything less afterwards suffers disproportionately by comparision. Perhaps this is also part of the reason for all the negative comments here. That Monheit is a tremendous talent is plainly obvious just by listening to her. It's been said that she has yet to find her own voice and style and, given her young age, this is probably true.

As for the recording, I have mixed feelings. There are no songs here that made me sit up and take notice like, say, "Blame it on my youth" did in the second cd. That said, I have become very fond of some of the songs, especially "Tea for Two" which Monheit sings with real pathos and makes the somewhat silly lyrics sound affecting. Also noteworthy are the Leonard Bernstein song "Some other time" as well as the great Rogers and Hart tune "It never entered my mind."

Bottom line: Monheit is a young and extremely talented singer who needs time to grow into a great artist. She is much younger than Diana Krall and to me, a different singer altogether in style. So I'm not sure all the comparisons are valid. Another young singer often mentioned in the same breath is Norah Jones. While Jones' cd is pleasant enough to listen to for a little while, I soon grew tired of it, whereas with this I continue to find time to savor Monheit's voice and, in the process, be moved by the feelings she invests in her singing. To me, that's the true measure of a gifted singer.

I have mixed feelings about this album. Jane has an incredible voice, recorded and live, and, up until now, her first two CDs haven't disappointed. But on this one, some of the songs just didn't "click" for me. She is at her best on "Just Squeeze Me," "Cheek to Cheek," "Tea for Two," and the Portuguese "No More Blues." But the title track "Once I Walked in the Sun" is a little boring, as is "Some Other Time." Jane's voice is amazing on all of the tracks, and the orchestrations are lush and moving, but the two entities together fail to pull through on "It Never Entered My Mind," which is so slow and drawn out that it's difficult to make out a complete sentence. "Comecar De Novo" shows off her talent brilliantly, but the music never seems to find a melody, and neither does "Since You've Asked," which sounds like it can be the next Disney movie ballad.

Jane Monheit's voice just keeps getting better, but her choice of songs needs some improvement.

Dissappointed is the only word for this album.

Beautiful voice, waste of talent and time here folks.

Whoever mixed the CD in the soundstage should not be in the business. As an example, listen to the Cheek to Cheek song - it just sounds "tinny" - spectrum of instruments have been cut and the song sounds like its coming out of a portable AM radio.

While I am a new listener to Ms. Monheit, and am not intimiately familiar with much of her material, a couple of things stand out for me. While there is no doubt that she is a highly talented singer with a lovely voice, this CD suffers from enough production problems that even I can't help but comment. First of all, the arrangements - for being jazz - are somewhat too grandmotherly and show tune-y. If you are under 55, enjoy contemporary female jazz vocalists, and consider yourself even vaguely "cool", then there are many better choices - I could recommend literally anything by Diana Krall, Patricia Barber, Sara K, or even Norah Jones over this CD. Secondly, there is a strikingly haphazard feel to this CD, where seemingly unrelated styles of orchestration, singing, and composition are inappropriately juxtaposed. Finally, there are audio problems. While sound quality is more of an issue to me than to many others (audio has been my hobby since I was a teenager), this CD stands head and shoulders above the rest for its thin, steely, and at times even painful treble. Many tracks sound as if they might have been recorded and mixed on an inexpensive PC sound card. With a different producer, arranger and recording engineer, Ms. Monheit could deliver a CD that honors the wonderful talent she clearly has. I look forward to hearing it.

Although I dont crave listening to this CD from beginning to end like I do with "Come Dream with Me", it is still a wonderful offering. Ms. Monheit continues to show her depth and abilities as she grows into her music.

My impression of this CD is that Ms. Monheit became a little more introspective in delivering these works. I think we are being given a glimpse into her true identity and soul. I think this album is great, but would recommend "Come Dream with Me" to any newcomers to her music.

This album replicates a lot of material on the "Live at the Rainbow Room" album but is, in my mind, so much better. These are not live but studio recordings and they are first rate.

These selections are mostly in the torch song tradition. There are a few happier selections to round out the collection. All are well done in terms of singing, arrangement, mix and accompaniment.

I'm waiting for the next release.

But I just couldn't. And I'm not blaming it all on the fabulous Ms Monheit either. The sound of the album was weird. As someone noted, in places it sounded "tinny". Then there is the matter of song selection - lots of repeats and even a few mediocore.

All the great female singlers alternate between the worlds of jazz and ballad. I prefer the latter, particularly the romantic lush type but love the jazz also. While she does not have the name and fame of Kraal and is not totally in control like the incredible Cheryl Bentyne or is at the point of her career where she is willing to take chances like the fantastic Tierney Sutton (the best in the business, hands down) she is making a name for herself. What really burns me up are comments like she "uses her looks" or is "just another pretty face." Is beauty now a crime?

Unlike a famous tennis star, Jane combines talent with a young flippancy, playfulness and spirit that's refreshing. Some of the songs are in Portuguese - and the point is? She worked with Ivan Lins and for sheer sound, few approach the almost classical arrangement of "Comecar de Novo" whose words do NOT tranlate well to English. All female singers do not have to sound the same. I, for one, am grateful for the variety among the voices. Next time though, I would like something more daring,even with edge. Or even better, a collection of only torch songs and ballads - let the purist howl!

Having read the other reviews of this CD I can't believe that I'm the only listener who thinks that the final song "Since You've Asked" is totally superb. The orchestration, far from being like Mantovani, as some poor reviewer suggested, is sensitive and sympathetic to the vocals. How brave of JM to tackle this song - more like it please - we really don't need any more MOR versions of standards. Great album, however the jazz-heads moan about it!!