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Following the astonishing success of Jane Monheit's 1999 debut, Never Never Land, it was only natural to wonder if this youthful singer, barely out of college, had real staying power. Come Dream with Me provides a resoundingly positive answer to that question. Monheit's strengths are fully in evidence here -- most notably her limpid, refined soprano voice and her heartfelt love for the Great American Songbook -- bolstered by a deeper artistic self-assurance. Monheit demonstrates this at once by kicking off the disc with "Somewhere, over the Rainbow," raising a ghost that few singers would wish to contend with. Defying the odds, she manages to put her own stamp on Judy Garland's anthem, adding some melismatic flourishes and infusing the song with a wistfulness that's just as compelling in its way as Garland's incandescent emotionalism. As on her first album, Monheit has a powerful group of musicians behind her, most notably Kenny Barron, Mike Brecker, Christian McBride, and Tom Harrell.. But Monheit certainly doesn't need to be propped up by these seasoned stars. She is at her fluent best on the album's ballads, which include "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," "Blame It on My Youth," "I'll Be Seeing You," and "If," the latter enhanced by some artful overdubbing. At the same time, Monheit is clearly making strides in her ability to swing, which she does with an appealing sauciness on "Hit the Road to Dreamland" and a lively bounce on "Waters of March." She concludes the album with another self-confident gesture, covering Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You." Rather than attempting to renovate the song, Monheit offers an almost exact replica of Mitchell's own performance on the classic Blue album, with equally thrilling vocal effects. Call it imitation, call it homage, it's a lovely piece of work, and that's all that needs to be said. And it's followed, unexpectedly, by a snippet of Monheit's take on "Over the Rainbow" at a very early age, her breathy little voice as wobbly as a toddler's first steps. Whether this is meant to evoke a smile or to measure the distance Monheit has traveled, it clearly suggests that she has a wealth of resources that are still untapped -- it will be a treat to watch her do this in the years ahead.
CONDITION: NEW
TRACKIN LISTING
1. Over the Rainbow
2. Hit the Road to Dreamland
3. Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
4. Waters of March
5. I'm Through With Love
6. I'll Be Seeing You
7. Something to Live For
8. So Many Stars
9. If
10. Blame It on My Youth
11. A Case of You
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