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Jane Monheit Profile |
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Birth Date: November 3, 1977
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Birth Place: Oakdale, Long Island, USA
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Birth Name: Jane Monheit
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Height: 5'4"
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Biography |
Jane Monheit (born November 3, 1977) is a jazz and adult
contemporary vocalist for Concord Records. She has also
collaborated with artists such as Michael Bublé and has
received Grammy nominations for two of her recordings.
Monheit was born in Oakdale, New York on Long Island. She
began singing professionally while attending Connetquot High
School. She graduated in 1995. At 17, she began to study at
the Manhattan School of Music in New York City under the
tutelage of Peter Eldridge. She earned a Bachelor's degree
in music in 1999. At the age of 20, as a senior in college,
she won the first runner-up prize at the 1998 Thelonious
Monk Institute Vocal Competition.
Monheit's voice has been compared to that of Ella
Fitzgerald, whom she lists as one of her influences. Even
though she is often cited as a jazz vocalist, her recorded
tracks range from jazz to MGM/RKO 1930s–1950s musicals and
Latin American rhythms such as the song Comecar De Novo.
Her albums include Come Dream With Me (2001), In The Sun
(2002), and a live album, Live At The Rainbow Room (2003)
which also had a complementary DVD release. She also made a
guest appearance on Mark O'Conner's CD Full Swing (2003),
singing three standards.
Her fifth album, Taking a Chance on Love was released in
September 2004. It rose to the number one spot on the
Billboard Jazz Chart and also entered the Billboard Hot 100
the first week it was released. This album included the song
Over the Rainbow, which was included on the soundtrack for
the film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
The Taking a Chance on Love DVD was released in March 2005
and contains performances from the Brecon Jazz Festival in
Wales, UK. In October 2005, Monheit released her sixth
album, the holiday-themed The Season, which debuted in the
top 10 on the Billboard Jazz Chart. Monheit told
jazzreview.com it was inspired by Fitzgerald's Ella Wishes
You a Swinging Christmas.
Her first album for Concord, Surrender, was released in May
2007, with a new version of "Moon River" and various Bossa
Nova-styled songs. It debuted at number one on the Billboard
Jazz Chart. |
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Other
Information |
At the 1998 Thelonious Monk Competition, she took second
prize to the late Teri Thornton, who was making a dramatic
career comeback in the competition, shortly before her
death. Monheit's performance led to her immediately being
signed for her first solo recording Never Never Land, which
placed her in the company of jazz veterans such as pianist
Kenny Barron, bassist Ron Carter and saxophonist David
"Fathead" Newman.
Her first album Never Never Land remained on the Billboard
Jazz Chart for over a year, and the Jazz Journalists
Association voted it the Best Recording Debut. Her second
album Come Dream With Me debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard
Jazz Chart in May 2001.
Her musical family includes an aunt and a grandmother who
were both professional singers, a brother who plays rock
guitar, a father who plays bluegrass banjo, and a mother who
performed in musical theater.
She studied clarinet and music theory, and took the leads in
theatrical productions in high school. She got her start
performing on the South Shore of Long Island, and she began
formal vocal training at the age of 17 at New York's
Manhattan School of Music with Peter Eldridge, a founding
member of the vocal group New York Voices.
Began working on her first recording album after completing
her studies at Manhattan School of Music in 1999.
Considers Ella Fitzgerald as her foremost influence. Her
other influences she says are Carmen McRae, Frank Sinatra,
Mel Tormé and Irene Kral, groups Take Six, New York Voices,
as well as non-jazz artists Barbara Cook, and
singer/songwriters Bonnie Raitt and Joni Mitchell.
Her duet single "I Won't Dance" (from album Taking a Chance
on Love), featuring multi-platinum artist Michael Bublé,
peaked at number 11 at the World Jazz Top 20 Singles -
Year-End Chart in 2004.
Married her college boyfriend, Rick Montalbano Jr., who is
also the drummer in her touring band. During her college
years, Monheit performed in the cabaret scene in Greenwich
Village, New York City. Montalbano directed her toward jazz,
by getting her to sing for his jazz quintet, which played
frequently at a club in uptown New York. |
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since April 22, 2008