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How does a girl who came of age in an era of post-grunge and sickly-sweet pop songs embrace the music of yesteryear? "Standards were always played in our house," Monheit says. "My mom was always into jazz. I heard it there and at my grandparents' house. That's where I got it from. I learned so much listening to the greats, like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Miles Davis. There is so much joy in their music. But you're not always into everything you're exposed to. You have to like it, and I've always loved jazz standards. I do enjoy other styles of music, but for me, I always go back to jazz." This long-time exposure to the kings and queens of soulful, love-induced music is perhaps why the draw to Judy Garland’s music makes so much sense. “I want to get away from the drama, and celebrate what we all loved about Judy- the immense joy she brought through song, and her innate understanding of jazz. She did so much more than break hearts...she put them together again...and that’s what we’re going to be about with this show!”

An extraordinarily gifted jazz vocalist whose sincere and romantic interpretations of exceptional songs has made her a favorite in both the jazz and cabaret worlds, Jane Monheit has garnered numerous accolades in the past decade. Her first album, Never Never Land, was voted the top debut recording by the Jazz Journalist’s Association and stayed on the Billboard jazz chart for over a year. Subsequent albums either charted high, or in several cases, debuted at number one, and yielded two Grammy nominations in the “Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals” category, recognizing the work of Vince Mendoza on In The Sun and Taking A Chance On Love. Monheit began singing professionally while still in high school and scored a major breakthrough — as runner-up in the 1998 Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute vocals competition — before her graduation from the Manhattan School of Music.

“Everything I’m singing now is a reflection of my truest self,” says Jane Monheit. “After all this time in the industry, after touring for 13 years, it’s time to just be me, with complete and utter freedom.” Monheit’s sense of liberation is apparent throughout The Heart Of The Matter, the acclaimed, Grammy-nominated vocalist’s ninth and most-recent studio album. It can be felt in her wide- ranging choice of material, in the unique arrangements, and in her own fearless performances and interpretations. The diverse and very personal set of songs includes both familiar standards and compositions by Lennon/McCartney, Randy Newman, two songs by Ivan Lins, recorded in the original Portuguese, and, for the first time, a Monheit original. In addition to her own recordings, Jane has worked alongside the likes of Terence Blanchard, Tom Harrell, and Ivan Lins.