Jane Monheit (N-Coded)
Reviewed by Joanne Kaufman
Make room in that spotlight, Diana Krall. Monheit, 23, is jazz's next sultry sweetie. Like Krall, she tops a pretty face with a pretty amazing voice: It's a high, clear instrument (occasionally given to unnecessary trills) with sophisticated phrasing. "Waters of March," Antonio Carlos Jobim's rapid-fire test of breath control, spins out like a silken thread. The simply rendered "Blame It on My Youth" and "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" are haunting evocations of love lost.
This sophomore album (her debut, Never Never Land, was a hit last year) is a bit ballad-heavy. No one will quibble with classics like "I'm Through with Love," but Monheit should swing instead of serving up soggy Bread (the tedious "If"). Her true colors shine on two versions of "Over the Rainbow": The first includes a seldom-heard verse; the second, a charmer, was recorded by Monheit as a 3-year-old. Each is a magical trip to the land of ahhhs.
Bottom Line: Sweet Dream
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