Regarding Matters Of The Heart (Music Review: Jane Monheit, The Heart Of The Matter)

There's no denying that Jane Monheit has a wonderful voice. It's rich, it's supple, it's distinctive. She has impeccable taste when it comes to song selections, and in her new album, "The Heart Of The Matter," there's a great variety of time-tested standards, obscure bossa nova tunes, and pop ditties. And there's no denying she sings all these songs so well, her style unique and versatile. She can swing like the best jazzers out there, and she can belt like a diva no other. Why, then oh why, did I get a little too uninvolved with this new release? I think as a whole, she can be too everything. It can take a lot to listen to the album, like looking at a painting with so many intricate details. Could there be such thing as something too beautiful? I think the best way to fully appreciate this album is to listen to it a song at a time, so you can appreciate the nuanced French arrangement of Buffy St. Marie's "Until It's Time For You To Go," the Brasilian take on "Sing," the dramatic reading of "When She Loved Me," the slight lilt that brings texture to "Born To Be Blue." Sometimes you have to pick flowers from a bouquet to smell their unique beauty.