Jane Monheit, vocals with Special Guest Mark O’Connor, violin

Letter of Welcome

Dear Friends:

Welcome to a new season of 92Y Jazz. If there is a theme in this season’s programming, it is the power of musical friendships. Kenny Barron, who was here for Jazz in July 2011, and Dave Holland have been long-time friends, and now they are setting their friendship to music as a duo. They are followed by the Christian McBride Big Band in May, and in any big band, there must be a strong sense of camaraderie if so many different artistic voices are to come together as one. The Christian McBride Big Band is doing that very successfully, as demonstrated by their recent Grammy® Award.

Tonight, we enjoy a friendship between the innovative musicians Jane Monheit and Mark O’Connor that has continued for ten years and produced great music. First meeting in upstate New York, they have since appeared together in New York clubs and halls across the country and have taken turns appearing on each other’s records, including their most recent: Ms. Monheit’s Home and Mr. O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas. We’re delighted that Ms. Monheit has asked her friend to be part of her 92Y debut tonight.

92Y Jazz is just one aspect of jazz programming at 92Y. I invite you to turn to page 6 and discover all we have to offer both uptown at 92Y and downtown at 92YTribeca. Our jazz concerts, talks, classes are all led by deeply talented, knowledgeable and skilled people who take great pleasure in sharing their art with people of all ages. I’m especially excited that Christian McBride with his quintet Inside Straight is participating in our Family Music series on March 3. There is no better way to share the joy of jazz with children in your life than by introducing them to this brilliant musician. And now, enjoy our friends Jane Monheit and Mark O’Connor, and I’ll see you again soon.

Yours,

Hanna Arie-Gaifman
Director, 92Y Tisch Center for the Arts

Back to Top

First fulfilling, then joyfully exceeding the great expectations that arose after she was named runner-up in the 1998 Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute’s vocal competition, Jane Monheit has over the past dozen years become one of the world’s premier vocal interpreters and all-around musical talents.

Performing for audiences throughout the US, Europe, Asia and South America, Ms. Monheit’s sincere and romantic interpretations have made her a favorite in both the jazz and cabaret worlds. Among the many prominent jazz musicians who have recorded with her are Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Bucky Pizzarelli, Christian McBride, Michael Brecker, Terence Blanchard and Toots Thielemans. Demonstrating her range, she has also collaborated with Brazilian artist Ivan Lins and pop sensation Michael Bublé, and she has appeared on Joshua Bell’s “Live at Lincoln Center” PBS special and the JVC Jazz Festival Tribute to Peggy Lee at Carnegie Hall.

While performing at jazz clubs, restaurants and bars throughout Manhattan with a quintet featuring her college boyfriend (now husband), drummer Rick Montalbano, Ms. Monheit recorded her debut album Never Never Land. Released in October 2000, it was voted the top debut recording by the Jazz Journalists Association, and it was ranked on the Billboard Jazz Chart for over a year.

Among her following albums, In the Sun (2002) and Taking a Chance on Love (2004) earned Grammy® Award nominations in the Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists category, recognizing the work of Vince Mendoza. During this time, she also released her two DVDs: Live at the Rainbow Room (2003) and Taking a Chance on Love (2005), recorded at the Brecon International Jazz Festival in the UK.

Additionally, the singer has recorded Surrender (2007) and The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me (2009). Ms. Monheit recorded The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me during and following her pregnancy with her son Jack, and the title comes from “Rainbow Connection,” one of his favorite songs. Ms. Monheit and Mr. Montalbano regularly take him on the road, and Ms. Monheit has said that Jack has had a deep effect on her life and her singing. This is reflected in her latest album, Home, which has a lighter tone and marks a return to her jazz roots.

A native of Oakdale on Long Island, Ms. Monheit grew up in a family of professional musicians. She attended the Manhattan School of Music, where she received the William H. Borden Award for outstanding accomplishment in jazz. Her website is janemonheitonline.com

Back to Top

A product of America’s rich aural folk tradition as well as classical music, Mark O’Connor’s creative journey began at the feet of a pair of musical giants: Benny Thomasson, who created the modern era of American fiddling; and Stéphane Grappelli, the French jazz violinist who is considered one of violin’s greatest improvisers. As Mr. O’Connor absorbed knowledge and influence from a multitude of musical styles and genres, he melded and shaped these influences into a new American classical music and a vision of an entirely American school of string playing.

With more than 200 performances, Mr. O’Connor’s first full-length orchestral score, the Fiddle Concerto, has become the most-performed modern violin concerto composed in the last 40 years. Since then, he has written additional concertos that have been premiered and recorded by such artists as Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, the Baltimore and Chicago symphonies and the London Philharmonic. He has also written extensive symphonic works and chamber music.

Mr. O’Connor has sold over two million CDs as a solo recording artist. His first recording was Appalachia Waltz (Sony Classical), a collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma and Edgar Meyer. His follow-up release, Appalachian Journey, received a 2001 Grammy® Award. Strings & Threads Suite, a duet for violin and guitar that he wrote for Sharon Isbin, also won a Grammy. Other artists who have performed his works include Renée Fleming, Rosanne Cash and the Eroica Trio; numerous dance troupes have staged his music, such as Twyla Tharp Dance, the New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. His most recent release, An Appalachian Christmas (2011) reached the top 15 on three Billboard charts: Classical, Crossover and Bluegrass.

Mr. O’Connor regularly conducts three-day residencies, giving lectures, demonstrations and workshops at universities, music schools and festivals across the country. He is currently artist in residence at the University of Miami, and he is founder and president of the internationally recognized Mark O’Connor String Camp, held in Tennessee and Massachusetts.

In autumn 2007, Mr. O’Connor debuted his O’Connor Violin Method as an American classical approach to modern violin playing. The innovative method is based on his belief that the modern classical violin student should develop a working knowledge of folk fiddling, jazz music and world music styles. His website is markoconnor.com

Michael Kanan comes from Boston, where he began to play the piano at age seven. He attended Boston College, and while there, he performed with jazz greats like Tal Farlow, Lee Konitz, Al Cohn and Alan Dawson. Soon after graduation, Mr. Kanan moved to New York and worked with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner and Jorge Rossy, among others. In 2001, Mr. Kanan became Jane Monheit’s accompanist and arranger. With her group, he has toured the world, recorded several CDs and DVDs, and made many TV appearances, including The Late Show with David Letterman and Conan.

Mr. Kanan also performs and records with his own groups. He has made two trio recordings, Convergence and The Gentleman is a Dope, for Barcelona’s Fresh Sound New Talent label. He has recorded a duet with his longtime collaborator, alto saxophonist Nat Su, titled Dreams and Reflections. He performs around New York with his trio, drummer Eliot Zigmund and bassist Lee Hudson. His website is michaelkanan.com

Back to Top 

Born and raised in Manhattan, bass player Neal Miner was introduced to jazz by his father Bill, a respected jazz record collector and discographer. Since the age of 19, he has been a fixture on the New York City jazz scene. He has played with such jazz stars as Harry Allen, Russell Malone, Ann Hampton Callaway, Frank Wess and Warren Vaché. He has toured and recorded with Jon Hendricks since 1998, and backed Annie Ross at the Metropolitan Room since 2005. In 2007, Mr. Miner joined Jane Monheit’s band and wrote arrangements for her two most recent albums, The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me and Home.

Mr. Miner has released four CDs as a leader, composer and arranger. His debut CD, The Real Neal, was released in 2000 by Juniper Records; his latest, Sweet Tooth, was released last year on Gut String Records. In addition to performing, Mr. Miner teaches at the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and City College of New York. His website is nealminer.com

Back to Top 

Rick Montalbano has been playing drums professionally since his early teens. Growing up in a professional musical environment— his father is jazz pianist and organist Rick Montalbano— offered him unique exposure to world-class musicians, including legendary saxophonists Sal Nistico and J. R. Monterose. While in high school, Mr. Montalbano was one of five young musicians to be awarded a scholarship from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, a prestigious international competition.

In 1997, Mr. Montalbano moved to New York City where he was awarded a full scholarship to attend the Manhattan School of Music. There he began working with such leading jazz musicians as Brad Mehldau, Phil Woods, Randy Brecker and Clark Terry. He also made several recordings including two with tenor saxophonist Ari Ambrose of Steely Dan. Since 2000, Mr. Montalbano has been the drummer for Jane Monheit and her band. He has performed on Ms. Monheit’s international tours, recordings, TV appearances and DVDs.

Back to Top