On Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending the first night of Jane Monheit's residency at Birdland here in NYC. I've loved and admired the work of this brilliant chanteuse for some years now, and I was so happy to witness her artistry and that of her band – Michael Kanan on piano, Neal Miner on bass, and Ricky Montalbano on drums – and special guests Angelo DiLoreto, Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch, and the singular Marilyn Maye. What a show!
Jane Monheit and band.
I chose a dusty black and white treatment on the illustration as a nod to the history of Birdland, both the present location and the original a bit uptown. On this evening, Birdland owner Gianni Valenti unveiled a lovely Seth Walters photo on the wall as a tribute to Jane from her jazz home. It joined the gorgeous black and white portraits of jazz greats from across the years. My doodle is a variation on a theme.
Y'all, Jane will be in residency most Sundays at 6pm through September 2014 at Birdland. Go!