Surrender by Jane Monheit

18 Apr

Written by Susan Lozinak
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Grammy nominated songstress, Jane Monheit, returns with her seventh CD chock full of romantic ballads. Surrender is Monheit’s first with Concord Records and is produced by Jorge Callandrelli who has produced for such greats as Celine Dion, Tony Bennett, and Barbra Streisand. A singing sensation at just 29 years of age, Monheit, with smooth as velvet vocals, is clearly a force to be reckoned with in this genre of music.

With Surrender, Monheit’s passionate tone and articulation enchants on 10 beautifully produced and orchestrated ballads. On "If You Went Away" Monheit’s ultra smooth and sexy style captures the mood perfectly and is enhanced by a nice saxophone solo by Ari Ambrose. The mood continues with "Surrender", the title track, and features a beautiful guitar solo by Miles Okazaki.

Continuing on with the romantic theme of Surrender is a duet with Ivan Lins on "Rio De Maio." The great Sergio Mendes accompanies on the piano on the track "So Many Stars" where Monheit radiates with her impressive pitch. On Henry Mancini’s "Moon River" Monheit’s voice is bathed in romance as the backing strings perfectly mesh as if they are one, creating a breathtakingly beautiful moment. Stevie Wonder’s ‘Overjoyed" is performed lovingly here as Monheit once again takes a classic to new levels. "A Time For Love" with its lush orchestrations is nothing short of bliss. Monheit’s stunning resonance is a match made in heaven with the accompanying strings and woodwinds.

The remaining tracks on Surrender, "Like A Lover", "Só Tinha De Ser Com Vocé", and "Caminhos Cruzados" with Toots Thieleman, as well as the first rate musicians on this CD, are all superb. Monheit has proven she has the musical chops in this genre, surely she is destined for a brilliant career evocative of legends the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Jane Monheit
CD Title: Surrender
Genre: Jazz Vocals
Year Released: 2007
Record Label: Concord Music Group
Tracks: If You Went Away, Surrender, Rio De Maio, Like A Lover, Só Tinha De Ser Com Vocé, So Many Stars, Moon River, Overjoyed, Caminhos Cruzados, A Time For Love
Musicians: Jane Monheit (lead and background vocals), Michael Kanan (piano and Rhodes), Miles Okazaki (acoustic and electric guitars), Ari Ambrose (saxophone), Orlando Le Fleming (Acoustic bass), Rick Montalbano (drums)
Label Website: http://www.concordmusicgroup.com
Rating: Four Stars