Track Listing

1. Over the Rainbow
2. Hit the Road to Dreamland
3. Spring Can Really Hand You Up the Most
4. Waters of March
5. I'm Through With Love
6. I'll Be Seeing You
7. Something to Live For
8. So Many Stars
9. If
10. Blame It on My Youth
11. A Case of You

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17581 in Music
• Released on: 2001-05-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .17 pounds

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Retro darling of the jazz vocal, Jane Monheit appears with her sophomore effort, Come Dream with Me, following the splash of Never Never Land with a long-reaching ripple. At 23, Monheit is remarkably gifted not only of voice, but with lyrical interpretation and genuine feel for a song, singing, for example, the oft-recorded "Somewhere over the Rainbow" from inside the song, making it a thing of understated beauty, rich purity, and charming hopefulness. Pianist Kenny Barron reprises his role as swing-daddy pianist, while the remainder of the instrumental ensemble is made up of younger though no less able jazzbos. Largely thus far an interpreter of standards, with strong emphasis on the ballad (stunningly lovely renditions of "Blame It on My Youth," "Something to Live For," and "I'm Through with Love"), Monheit also takes on the syrupy "If" from Bread's catalog, turning it to spun caramel. And then there's the closer: from the highly favored Blue, a scrumptious and sensual rendition of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You." --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews

delightful - best female jazz vocal of year !
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.

A Girl Who Sings Like A Woman
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.

Base your reviews on whether or not she can sing.
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.