JAZZ Singer devoted her life to her art, and it paid off

She's happy to be compared to Norah Jones and Diana Krall.
By JOHN PATRICK GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Jazz vocalist Jane Monheit's devotion to interpreting and performing songs has taken up more than a decade of the 26-year-old's life. Her focus is listeners' gain.
Growing up on Long Island, she took part in school and local theater productions and anything else that offered her a chance to sing in front of people. "There isn't much in the way of jazz gigs on Long Island," she said.
"When I was still out there, in my senior year of high school, I was playing weddings and parties and things like that. And everybody wants the singer for the cocktail hour before the DJ comes in."
After graduation, Monheit not only attended the prestigious Manhattan School of Music: She made sure none of her time was spent idle. She took brunch gigs or provided background music at a restaurant or during happy hour at a bar.
Experience paid off
All that experience paid off handsomely for the vocalist. Competing against others who were much older, Monheit received second-place honors in the prestigious Thelonius Monk Institute vocal competition. Her elegant style and phrasing of jazz standards impressed record label executives as well. Soon, she was recording her N-Coded records debut, "Never Never Land."
Monheit's immediate ascent within the jazz world linked her with other attractive and talented female artists who have received acclaim and commercial success, such as Diana Krall and Norah Jones. She embraces any comparisons as positive.
"Have you ever met anybody who only likes one singer? That's ridiculous. If somebody likes one singer, they're going to like other singers. And if we're out there supporting each other ... it's not rocket science."
During this phone interview late last week, Monheit was in that rarest of places: her New York home. It's a brief stay for someone who has been constantly touring around the world since the release of her first studio effort in 2000.
"We've toured nonstop for four years. That's just the way it is in jazz. We just don't stop 'cause we really don't have a lot of radio support. If we want the music to get out to people, we have to bring it ourselves."
Back on the road, she's supporting the legendary Manhattan Transfer on a series of dates. That includes a performance Sunday in Cleveland.
Monheit has made good use of her time between tours by recording three albums. The first two -- "Never Never Land" and "Come Dream With Me" -- are filled with arrangements accustomed to jazz standards even when she tackles "Over the Rainbow" and "If," the soft pop classic by Bread. On 2002's "In the Sun," she broadened her stylistic range by incorporating Brazilian influences and lush orchestrations.
"When I make records, I really just sing what means the most to me at the time."
She has already recorded her fourth studio effort. "Taking A Chance On Love" comes out Sept. 7 on the major record label, Sony Classical.
"I really dig working with them a lot, and they really understand who I am as an artist. That's much, much appreciated."
Songs from musicals
It features songs from MGM musicals that Monheit learned as a child. As time passed she discovered that such numbers also were part of the jazz repertoire. "I'd be hearing a tune all the time, but I'd be hearing both Fred Astaire and Ella Fitzgerald, so both of those versions would influence me greatly."
She admits that the choice of material is as much a nod to attracting an audience as it is to satisfying her creative impulses.
"Your first couple of records you can do collections of songs that you love, but after that you need to be able to market it. You need a hook. You need to be able to tell everybody 'OK, this is different because of this. This is why it's special, so you'll want this too.' Also, it makes the album-making process more interesting."