Jane Monheit in Hamburg
Singer Jane Monheit‘s latest, self-titled album came out last November. She concluded her European tour on Saturday at Hamburg’s new jazz club called Nica, which opened its doors in early November of last year. Jane included a handful of songs from her new album, and also threw in several tracks from her vast recorded repertoire, now dating back to 2000 when her debut album came out.
I think it is always a bit of a challenge to come up with a versatile and sophisticated repertoire. And Jane excelled both ways. She was the swinging chanteuse on classics like “On A Clear Day” or “Too Close For Comfort”, the Brazilian diva on a couple of songs written by Ivan Lins to which she wrote the English lyrics, the svelte Broadway crooner singing Steven Sondheim. Each song received the perfect treatment by her well-shaped voice. She turned the Brazilian tunes into some voluptuous dreamscapes; she handled the standards with just about enough oomph and grace and elegance wherever it was needed.
It was during the slower numbers and ballads where her full range and control, her emotional depth and the internalization of the lyrics came to the fore convincingly. Even on almost worn-out songs like “Over The Rainbow”, she managed to come up with a beautiful interpretation; never over the top or too dramatic, but with just about the right amount of candor and style. I rediscovered “Young And Foolish” because of her really fancy version. She also delivered a stunning “Lush Life”. Jane was totally fascinating and amazing on two of my favorite ballads: on “A Time For Love”, written by Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster, and “Some Other Time”, by Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green, she simply nailed it with genuine vulnerability and poignancy. Simply beautiful.
I know there have been issues with the club. Three huge columns in the middle leave a lot of people sitting there without any direct view of the stage. Also, there are a lot of rows of stairs back to back which don’t really add up to a proper club mood. And announcing a lot of rules and regulations at the beginning of the show doesn’t really make for a welcoming atmosphere. But still, the sound was very good at all times and I think the programming is pretty eclectic and above average. It’s a bold move for sure to open up a jazz club in one of the most expensive areas in town so let’s hope that they’re in for the long run.
