Jane Monheit has tapped into a great idea. Last year she successfully delved into songs made famous by Judy Garland, and here she follows up with a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald’s Songbook years. It’s amazingly successful, not only for the reason of Monheit having the same joyful bounce in her voice as Ella, but she wisely re-arranges the material so there won’t be any note for note comparisons.
There’s a mix and match core team of Nicholas Payton/tp-arr, Michael Kanan/p, Neal Miner/b, Rick Montalbano/dr and Daniel Sadownick/perc , and Payton’s arrangements creates some rich and rewarding moods. There’s a misty and shadowy read of the Ellingtonian “Chelsea Mood” , as well as a hip Afro Cuban street fest on “I’ve Got You Under My Skin.” As with all things Monheit, less is more, and her duet with pianist Kanan on “ Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” is a candlelit wonder, and as the album ends with Payton on organ, and Brandee Younger’s harp strumming along with Monheit gently wafting on “This Time The Dream’s On Me,” you can’t help but wonder how she can top this. By far, Monheit’s best, and that’s saying something.
Emerald City Records