PERFORMANCE/CD QUOTES

About Denine's performance at the San Jose Jazz Festival 2001:

"…Monet was daring, diverse, and deliciously cool. Shifting from gentle balladry to 'vocalese' excursions and angular mystery grooves, Monet and her fine sextet kept coming up with new ways to surprise, although most of the set's tunes can also be found on Monet's Lady Bird CD (on Shotzi Records). Monet shone brightest on ballads and the more adventurous tunes: the almost completely improvised takes on 'Lazy Afternoon' and Monet's own 'Mystery' were utterly captivating."

-- Forrest Bryant, AllAboutJazz.com

About "Lady Bird":

"Bay-area-based singer Denine Monet's debut recording is like a sip of refreshing water on a scorching day. From the opening strains of the seldom-vocalized 'Night in Tunisia' to a goose-bumpy medley of 'You Go to My Head' and 'There Will Never Be Another You,' Monet is alternately hip, chic, sweet and swinging as the material demands. One heck of a debut."
Keely Smith: A / Denine Monet: A / Barbara Montgomery: A
Jeri Brown: A+ / Carla White: A - / Carla Cook: A

-- Steve Eddy, The Orange County Register: "Jazz's New Girl Power", a review of 6 vocalists' CDs.

Check out the All Music Guide for a review and more information about the tracks, by David Nathan.

"Vocalist Denine Monet's impressive premiere, Lady Bird, presents a superb song set of compelling originals and sturdy covers. The overall feel is straight-ahead, yet throughout there are infusions of color: Latin tinges, a funk groove, a scat-charged swing. Melding beauty with moving reflection, Monet's Lady Bird introduces not only a fine singing talent but also a talented songwriter/arranger."

--Dan Ouellette (Down Beat, San Francisco Chronicle)

"San Jose native Denine Monet is a very talented performer who has been singing [professionally] for about five years. She has the rich and sensuous voice of a Carmen McRae. But it's not just the voice you'll remember. Along with handling the standards, she also writes original music. In this era when many vocalists --even the most famous-- tend to reprise jazz classics, Monet is willing to take chances. I particularly liked her original composition "Mystery." As you can hear in this Jazz Perspective, Monet is even willing to stop singing altogether. She wrote a poetry introduction for the song "Stolen Moments," which flows easily into a swinging version of that song."

-- Reese Erlich, Special to BayArea.com, June 14, 2001 -- Jazz Perspectives--online interview

"Whether realizing new dimensions in familiar standards including Night in Tunisia, Lady Bird, and Stolen Moments, or speaking personally to the listener through highly evocative original compositions, vocalist Denine Monet emerges as a performer of striking originality in this debut recording. Monet's genius lies in her ability to play against the listener's expectation of convention. Lazy Afternoon becomes an expressive masterpiece when stripped of its bar lines and imbued with an implied pulse. Similarly, notions of musical form are challenged by the chromatic intervals and powerful groove that are the nucleus of the original piece, Mystery. This is a wonderfully creative session."

--James D. Armstrong, Jr. -- Jazz Now Interactive

"It’s hard to believe this is Denine Monet’s first recording date. From the vocalist's great range of styles and material, the first-rate band (including special guest Kenny Washington joining Monet on vocals), and even the packaging and photography, this sounds and feels like a veteran effort. One reason lies with Frank Martin’s unique arrangements of such familiar tunes as "Night in Tunisia" and "Stolen Moments." There are also two original tunes and some interesting spoken word passages written by Ms. Monet. Her duet with Washington on "Fly, Lady, Fly/Half Nelson" is killer, and the playing by the ensemble is solid throughout."

--Michael Handler -- JazzWest.com

"…Although Monet has been in and around the jazz scene for nearly a decade, "Lady Bird" is her first solo effort. Given the gentle polish and free-flowing delivery, it's obvious that Monet has been listening and learning. Sounding like a cross between Ella Fitzgerald and Dianne Reeves, Monet's bird-related mix of classics and originals is highlighted by pianist/producer Frank Martin…."

-- David M. Meyers, The Davis Enterprise, May 17, 2001

"Hard working local San Francisco jazz vocalist that has worked the corners of the business finally steps out on her own with an indy date that is going to make waves and get picked up for wider distribution…Tasty throughout and always well-played Monet shows the hard work hasn't been for nothing in creating a date you'll be sorry if you miss. Put it on, let the magic flow."

-- Midwest Record Recap, May 14, 2001

 

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