Wonderful character development!

Why so much hype?

Just so...so bad

A Disappointing Continuation

I have owned this DVD for years.I've seen Jane at a small place in Seattle and now I see that she's coming to my town in a few months. I remember the first time I saw this vision in red, on Letterman. Only she seemed to know how a song must be sung.Her soft and gentle voice breaks your heart. Her flawless delivery draws you nearer and whispers a memory upon you that you will never let go. These 20 songs will be more than plenty to sell you solid on this jazz siren. Her command and interpretation of the standards alone unlocks any mystery of why jazz is solely an American staple. This is a glimpse of what it must have been like to have a table in the heyday of Big Band.And if you do not suddenly understand life when she sings "Waters Of March", I'd ask God for a refund.

I wouldn't compare Jane Monheit to Anne Murray or Karen Carpenter.Jane Monheit's voice is much higher (and much less rich) than those women.I found her voice to be too thin to consider her to be a great singer.And she's not exciting like Streisand, even though she has the same vocal range as Barbra. But she is a good singer, and I find her easy to listen to.Perhaps as she gets older and her voice gets richer, she will be a stronger singer.To my taste, she's much better than Norah Jones or Diana Krall.I look forward to hearing more from her in the future.To the first reviewer, she's 30 (born in 1977), not 24.

The 24-year-old jazz singer gives a concert in a famous showroom in New York City. Jane Monheit doesn't have the jazzy-type-somewhat smoky voice of a Diana Krall or Norah Jones but she certainly has a great voice, better than those two better-known singers. It's more classically trained. You get more of a straight singer, like a Judy Garland, Perry Como, Bing Crosby or whomever to name three older famous singers. Could Monheit be called a "cronner?"Anyway, to be honest, I was looking for something with a little more bluesy-type sound. However, there is no debate this young woman can sing.What I would also liked to have heard is more from the musicians, as they are very professional. Most of the songs are pretty short here, so you don't hear a lot of instrumental stuff. As professional as her voice is, she looked a bit amateurish talking and always curtsying to the audience. It will be interesting to see how she matures as a performer. With age on her side, she could be an excellent entertainer. She has the looks, too, and I believe the desire to keep perfecting her craft. She gives me that impression.Since she isn't - or wasn't when this was recorded - a great entertaining, this DVD was used more like a CD the several times I played it after my first look. It's nice music, but not a concert to remember.

Anyone who enjoys Anne Murray, Karen Carpenter, Barbra Streisand, and similar great female vocalists will enjoy Jane Monheit. She was new to me, and now I'm "in love". I suspect the DVD does not do justice to her, but her loveliness and great singing surely DO come through.There are 20 different songs, and the menu allows one to select any one. Background info about Jane and also about the recording are included in the Special Features portionHighly recommended!