PIJAZZ, in cooperation with the ABS-CBN, Lifestyle Network, Metro Society and Food Magazine, recently mounted a spectacular jazz night – The Philippine International Jazz and Arts Festival Jane Monheit Live! at the Rockwell Tent.

The special one-night concert featured 32-year-old Jane Monheit, now firmly established as one of the world’s foremost post-millenial jazz vocalists. A prolific artist, she has already released seven albums, the most recent of which is entitled The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me. An international artist and Grammy nominee, Jane has collaborated with artists such as Michael Bublé, Ivan Lins, Terence Blanchard and Tom Harrell. She was influenced by her grandparents’ “old songs” which eventually led her to become a jazz singer.

Her very first concert in Manila, she shared, “It’s been so wonderful and nice here. It’s great to come to a place where everybody is smiling and happy and we love that.” She even joked that the “traffic” in the country is the same from where she comes from, New York.

Along with her husband, who happens to be her band’s drummer, and their first baby, she is currently busy with touring and is hoping to record a new album. “I want to do more collaborations. I just love singing duets other great singers.”

The sultry singer enthusiastically shared, “I am just really happy to have finally have gotten here It’s been so long that I have been wanting to come but nothing was ever booked. I know a lot of Filipinos in the States and they are so wonderful and the most fun people so I have been dying to go here.. Now that we’re here, we’re establishing ourselves and hopefully come back frequently.”

Jane Monheit Live! marks the second night of the 2010 Philippine International Jazz and Arts Festival and will also feature special performances by Filipino jazz artists Brass Munkeys, Art Manuntag, Romy Posadas and Thor. Rounding out the lineup was new York-based jazz band Trio, featuring Greg Murphy, Ariel dela Portilla and Ignacio Moran.

For more updates and information, get a copy of the latest issue of Metro Society magazine and tune in to the Lifestyle Network on Skycable 52. The Lifestyle Network is available on SkyCable Platinum, SkyCable Gold, SkyCable Silver and other quality cable operators nationwide. Log on to www.thelifeyoulive.tv. for more details.