Melanie, Travis & your own Mark E. had the chance to enjoy some first rate jazz Sunday night at Seattle's Jazz Alley supper club. This is the third time I have attended a show at Jazz Alley and each time has been special in its own way and always enjoyable. The food and drinks were good (if overpriced) and the company was certainly first rate on Sunday. But the show was the real reason for being there. And let me tell you, it was an amazing show!
The last act I saw at Jazz Alley was Hendricks & Ross and I was seated at a table right in front of the stage. Sunday night we sat on the upper level of the venue and were looking down at the performers. We had a great view and the sound was perfect. From a vocal standpoint, Hendricks & Ross were a peak experience for me. But as far as my limited experience of live instrumental jazz is concerned, the Clayton Brothers quintet was definitely a high point. I have a very limited knowledge of jazz but I think I know enough to be able to say that the Clayton Brothers quintet is made up of 5 world class, a-list jazz musicians. They are comprised of John Clayton on bass, Jeff Clayton on alto sax, Gilbert Castellanos on trumpet, Bill Cunliffe on piano and Jeff Hamilton on drums. Each player was stellar and really made their instruments smoke during their various solo spots. The Seattle Times compared Jeff Clayton to Cannonball Adderley and described the group's performance as 'a bristling, take-no-prisoners set of bluesy hard bop.' Most of their set made me move in my seat, bouncing & tapping my toes but there was one number called 'That Night' that was a slow, moody piece. John Clayton used a bow on his bass for this one & the overall effect was elegant and beautiful. During most of their set, however, these guys were cookin'! 'Runway' was a particularly lively piece that really had me hopping! The horns moved out of the spot light & watched from the sidelines when Jane Monheit took the stage. Some of you will recognize the name from the latest volume of Mr. Muller's wild & wonderful Joni covers. She does a very pretty version of 'A Case of You.' Unfortunately she did not sing that particular song on Sunday but instead favored the audience with a set of well-turned standards. Jane is 23 years old and is a very attractive young woman with gorgeous, long, ripply-waved brown hair with red highlights running all through it. Judging from the covers of her two cds, the hair seems to be a trademark, a part of her image. Watching her pull it back from her face time & time again became distracting after the first two or three times she did it and the three of us in my party agreed that she should have it tied back while performing. That and a not particularly flattering outfit contributed to a feeling that she wasn't completely comfortable on stage. I got the distinct impression that she hasn't quite attained the poise & self-assurance that she needs to truly put herself over the top in her performance. I have also had this feeling from listening to her two cds. There's something that she seems to be holding back. But she has plenty of time. And plenty of talent. Her voice is truly wondrous - clear, flexible and expressive with a more than ample range. She has certainly learned the technique necessary to become a great jazz singer. There are times when the name Ella Fitzgerald comes to mind when listening to Monheit sing. Jane's voice & delivery is definitely in the school of Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. She does not have the smoky, sultry quality of say, Cassandra Wilson or Diana Krall who are probably more closely related to Billie Holiday or Peggy Lee. Jane's voice has a sweetness and astonishing flexibility to it that is particularly reminiscent of Ella. She knows when to embellish a melody and can quite capably navigate up or down a vocal run. She also injects a bit of scat into her delivery here and there. She opened with an appropriately swinging 'They Can't Take That Away >From Me'. John Clayton, Hamilton and Cunliffe accompanied her throughout her set, Cunliffe shining in particular with occasional solo breaks on the ivories. 'Hit the Road to Dreamland' was another tune that showed Jane's ability to swing. Her set also included 'So Many Stars' and she closed with 'Over the Rainbow'. Is it my imagination or does everybody seem to be covering that song these days? For years I think people were afraid of it. There was something almost sacred about it being Judy Garland's signature song. Maybe Judy's been gone long enough that people aren't so afraid of it now. Jane does a very pretty version of it. There really was not a false note or step in Jane's vocal performance. Her interpretations were tasteful and impeccably executed with just enough variation from the recordings to give them a feeling of spontaneity. But it was her rendition of 'Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most' that really made me think I was witnessing something extraordinary. Bette Midler does a lovely rendition of this song and it's hard for anyone to beat it in my opinion. But Jane Monheit seemed to come close to letting herself go with this one and it really connected, much more deeply than her performance of the same song on her cd. I think it's only going to be a matter of time & experience for this singer to hit her stride and when that happens she is going to be truly formidable. If she can get to that place where she is confident enough to let loose, she's going to be unstoppable. After Jane finished, I grabbed the two cds I had brought with me & hurried downstairs. She was sitting at the bar (with her hair pulled back in a knot, by the way) talking to Cunliffe and another guy. I asked her if she would mind signing a couple of cds. She was pleasant but I got the distinct impression that she wasn't interested in chatting. I did mention that I loved the fact that she had covered a Joni Mitchell song and I think she maybe said something like 'yeah, she's great.' I apologized for bothering her, she said no problem and then I let her be. Anyway, I now have a couple of autographed Jane Monheit cds. Maybe someday this will be like having a vinyl record signed by Ella or Sassy. Maybe not. Only time will tell and I think time is on Jane Monheit's side. Mark E.
