Jane Monheit, a gifted jazz vocalist of the Great American Songbook, celebrates a return to standards on her most recent album, "Home."
As for the acclaimed GAM Foundation-sponsored Jazz SLC series, performers and audiences alike love the series’ new home at the Capitol Theatre, said founder Gordon Hanks.
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Isn’t It a Lovely Day
Jane Monheit performs on the JazzSLC series.
When » Monday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m.
Where » Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City
Tickets » $30 at ArtTix.org or by calling 801-355-ARTS
Info » Hamilton Partners is providing free parking in the 222 S. Main parking structure after 6 p.m.
Upcoming » Kenny Barron Quintet, scheduled for Monday, March 19; and Michel Camilo, booked for the season finale on Monday, April 9.
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The series is in the home stretch of its first season at the theater after spending nearly two decades at the Sheraton Salt Lake City Hotel. "We’ve been thrilled," Hanks said about the move. "There is better staging, sightlines, lighting and sound."
The venue is more expensive to rent, though, and Hanks said more sponsors are needed to keep the series alive, as ticket sales don’t cover costs..
Ticket sales have been strong for Monheit’s Monday concert, a return after she last performed in the Jazz SLC series nearly a decade ago.
Monheit’s outlook on life and song has changed now that the 34-year-old New Yorker is a mother, she said in an interview. Her son, Jack, was born in the midst of recording her 2009 album "The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me." While that album featured interpretations of songs from Paul Simon, Fiona Apple and Corinne Bailey Rae — and even in a tribute to her baby, "Rainbow Connection" — "Home" is a return to her roots as a singer of standards.
If you notice an upbeat vibe on "Home," you’re not alone. "I’m much less angsty now," Monheit said of becoming more relaxed and optimistic with parenthood. "There is less drama now."
The highlights of "Home" include the sanguine Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz classic "A Shine on Your Shoes," the swinging Rodgers and Hart showpiece "Everything I’ve Got Belongs to You," a fetching take on Irving Berlin’s "Isn’t It a Lovely Day," and Jerome Kern and B.G. Desylva’s sunny song, "Look for the Silver Lining."
"Everyone is going through hard times," the agile-voiced singer said. "We want to lift everyone up, including me."
One evolving part of Monheit’s stage performance is a more engaging personality, as the singer says she’s more comfortable talking to audiences. "I’m my own goofy self," she said. "Nothing else is scary after having a baby."
Confidence hasn’t been much of a problem for the sultry jazz chanteuse, who grew up in a musical family that encouraged her artistic pursuits. When she was 20, Monheit was the first runner-up in the prestigious 1998 Thelonious Monk Institute vocal competition, winning a $10,000 scholarship. Monheit studied with singer Peter Eldridge, founder of the Grammy-winning jazz vocal ensemble New York Voices, which performed in Salt Lake City in November. Along with singers such as Diana Krall, Monheit quickly became part of the vanguard of jazz stylists. "Singing has always defined me," Monheit said.
Following Monheit’s performance in the Jazz SLC series are the Kenny Barron Quintet, scheduled for Monday, March 19, and Michel Camilo, booked for the season finale of Monday, April 9.
Twitter: @davidburger
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