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Exclusive: Scott Alan's SONGS FROM MY LIVING ROOM with Jane Monheit
Nov 8, 2022
BroadwayWorld is excited to bring you 'Songs from My Living Room'- a new series that goes into the home of one of today's most acclaimed contemporary songwriters, as he explains the stories behind his songs. The monthly series will feature special guests from all corners of the entertainment industry to help bring to life the music and lyrics of Scott Alan straight from his living room into yours.
The second episode, directed by Robbie Rozelle, features jazz vocalist Jane Monheit singing Alan's 'Always' from his second album, 'Keys'.
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0:00
Hi and welcome to the second episode of Songs from My Living Room
0:13
I am here with an extremely special guest, someone that I have loved for a very, very long period of time
0:21
and was very honored to have the opportunity of working with pretty recently, well, a year ago
0:28
A little while ago, in a year and a half. And we sort of met through Twitter
0:32
And she is one of the greatest vocalists of our time. And please welcome Jane Monheit to Songs from My Living Room
0:40
Thank you so much for doing this. Thanks for having me. Oh, it's such an honor. I'm so happy to have you
0:45
Jane, the first time I ever heard your voice, someone had introduced it to me
0:51
right at the beginning of my college years. and it was you singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow
0:59
Was that sort of... Now, I know there's a history, obviously, way before Somewhere Over the Rainbow
1:05
but do you think that's where people started really picking up? Yeah, yeah, definitely
1:10
Rainbow was a turning point because everybody loves that song. Everybody knows that song so well
1:15
that when a nice version of it happens, you know, everyone wants to hear it
1:21
There have been so many great versions of Rainbow over the years. David Cassidy. David Cassidy's version
1:26
Oh, it's so stunning. You know, so people are curious for new versions of it
1:31
and mine came at a good time, I think, and I got some attention, and, you know, I'm very grateful to Harold Arlen
1:36
and E.Y. Harper. Yes, please. Make it impossible. Oh, please. It was the moment I heard that
1:42
I was like, oh my God, I need everything that this girl has ever worked on before. And whenever you would do shows at Birdland
1:49
I would go, and I would sit in the audience, and then one day after I was leaving one of your shows
1:53
the host there who we both love said to me oh why don't I tweet her for you and
1:59
I'll tweet you and maybe you guys can work together and I think all I had to
2:03
say was Lea Salonga is gonna be there and you were very excited Lea Salonga is gonna be there
2:08
and it was just and the first time we ever actually met was the day of the
2:14
concert yeah I did an album called Scott Island live at Birdland and Jane sang a
2:20
wonderful duet a song half of the song that she's going to sing today with
2:25
Sierra Boggess and it was a wonderful moment it's very funny too because my
2:30
uncle I think I've actually told you this story my uncle you know they know
2:35
what I do but they don't really understand what I do I think you know
2:39
and the moment I told him Jane Monheit was going to be singing one of my songs
2:44
it was like wait this Jane Monheit presses play on a CD player and there is
2:50
somewhere over the rainbow. Yeah, so, you know, you helped me with my family
2:57
Thank you so much for that. That was very kind and sweet of you. Now, you've been doing these shows
3:02
every Sunday, right? Is it every Sunday? Every Sunday that I'm in town
3:07
A lot of times I'm on the road. And so we do have a lot of subs
3:10
for Jazz Party at Birdland. But when I'm in town, I'm doing it
3:16
And who have been some of your special guests that you've had? Oh, we've had so many cool people
3:20
Karen Allison, Hillary Gardner, Trevor McQueen, Billy Stritch, Jim Caruso, just a lot of wonderful
3:28
people from the New York Jazz and Cabaret world. I'll be doing a jazz party today after this
3:34
We have the brilliant Gene Bertensini, who's our guest today, who is a legend on guitar
3:39
So it's been really, really fun and an interesting mix of people because we've had a lot of up
3:43
and coming vocalists as well. So what do people expect when they come to one of these parties
3:51
Just a good time. I'm having more wine, by the way. I will be, too
3:56
I'm singing. The guests are singing. We are singing together. Everybody's just sort of having a good time
4:01
It's a very loose, nice hang. Yeah. Yeah. I can't wait. I'm really looking forward to it
4:06
I'm going to be performing with her today. I'm excited. So I'm excited about that. So one thing I know about you is how much you love musical theater
4:15
Me, too. The thing that you should have seen of Jane, which was absolutely incredible
4:19
while we were backstage, every time that Lea Salonga was near us
4:24
we were singing. Literally, she'd be standing next to us and she'd walk away
4:28
and you would just see Jane eyes well up Oh I was freaking out She one of my heroes She is one of the most gorgeous voices ever Of all time Of all time Oh my God she just stunning Do you have aspirations of doing musical theater
4:41
I know that a lot of people know you from the jazz world, but is that something that you ever would consider being a part of this industry
4:49
I definitely want to do it again. I used to do community theater in Long Island, you know
4:53
Where are you from? Long Island? I am from Long Island. So am I. Where are you from
4:57
I'm from Oakdale. I'm from Cold Spring Harbor. Oh my god. Cheers to Long Island
5:01
Cheers, honey. Oh my god. Yeah, I used to do community theater out there, and I miss it so much
5:08
I miss theater so much, and I go see everything, and you know, it's a big part of my life
5:12
even though it's not part of my career right now. Do you have like a dream role that you would ever think about
5:18
Oh god. Well, when I'm older, of course, The Witch, I've been into the woods, maybe someday
5:25
So you have a new CD that recently came out. Yeah. And on the new CD, what's the new CD called
5:31
It's called The Heart of the Matter. It's been out for about a year, a little over a year
5:36
It's brilliant. Thank you. But on the CD is the first time that you ever had a song that you wrote
5:41
How was that? It was scary a little bit, you know, because I've always been an interpreter of other people's music
5:48
But I have such great respect for songwriters like yourself. So to, you know, make a foray into that world was a little scary for me
5:57
but it was cool. It was a song that I wrote for my son, so it was very heartfelt
6:01
and you can't go wrong with that. It's beautiful. Oh, thank you. I told you
6:05
I texted you right after I listened to that song, and I said, you have nothing to worry about
6:10
I'm so glad to like that. Because she was nervous. She was like, oh my God, I'm scared for you to hear the song that I wrote
6:14
because as a songwriter, I'm scared for you to hear me as a songwriter
6:18
and it was just beautiful. I just loved every moment of it. Thank you
6:21
But you don't really perform it a lot in concert. I don't that often, because it's true
6:25
It's too emotional. It's really personal. I do when my son is listening. Although I haven't been performing the music from that album lately, I've been touring with this Judy Garland tribute. So we've been doing that instead
6:36
Where are you next? Next with the Garland tribute. Because you were in LA recently, right
6:41
I was in LA last week. And next with the Garland tribute, I'm in Europe
6:45
Okay. Where will you be in Europe? Mostly Spain. Oh, awesome. And one show in the Czech Republic
6:51
Well, great. Well, Broadway World has a lot of fans over in Spain, so make sure you check out Jane Monheit in concert singing. It's just a songbook. Judy Garland
7:01
Yeah, it's a Garland tribute that focuses on her jazz side. It's a really swinging, happy show. It's not a lot of ballads. It's her happy side
7:10
You know what's so funny to me One thing before we start talking about the song
7:15
We're going to sing today I know everyone can find out each other's
7:19
Ages online with so easy and I'm not going to say The age number but
7:23
It is interesting to me that I Feel like I grew up with your boys
7:27
And yet we're the same age We're the same exact age It's sort of interesting and I didn't realize
7:32
That that was going to be The situation Because you never think
7:38
You're sitting there with someone that you like idolize vocally and you think oh one day I'm gonna write for this kind of voice and I mean I adore you
7:48
you know no I mean to me you have one of the best it's very very interesting so we're doing a concert
7:54
I'm doing a concert at 54 Below on January 19th and Jane is going to be joining us but one of her
8:01
biggest fans happens to be Alicia Umfres oh I'm one of her biggest fans oh my god she is she grew her
8:08
So actually I'm gonna bring up one thing that I'll bring it up after this
8:13
tangents me so She goes to all your concerts. I mean she is just obsessed with you and now she's on in on the town
8:21
I know I can't wait to go see her And she you know, it's so interesting because all of the reviews were incredible
8:26
She's so amazing in the show, but I'm having her and Jane do a duet
8:31
One of my most well-known songs. We won't say which one at the concert, but I'm really excited
8:36
But it's funny because this is something I don't think we've ever discussed
8:41
But when Catherine McPhee, do you mind if I bring this up? No, go ahead
8:45
Are you going to bring up the one? No, go ahead. No, I don't need one for this. Okay. When she sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow and she basically took your arrangement and Eva Cassidy's arrangement and took credit for it, did that upset you
8:59
Because when I first heard it as beautiful as it is and obviously the judges looked at her and said oh my God what an incredible arrangement they just didn give any credit to where the credit was due And And supposedly she a big fan of your work as well That what I heard but I don know Did that upset you not to get the credit from that
9:17
Well, the part of it that was a bummer was that, you know, because there were some vocal lines and things like that in there and things like that
9:28
That were Jane's. You know. Yeah. And she's a wonderful singer. Wonderful
9:33
But in one fell swoop she sang something for more people than I will in my entire life of Tori
9:41
Something that had been mine. And that song is for everyone. Over the Rainbow is for everybody
9:49
And I understand she was very young, but that kind of direct lifting
9:55
I mean I'm sure she's older now and would never do something like that now
9:59
and was under immense pressure on that show, pressure that we can't imagine
10:03
But I was a little bummed out when it happened, just because it was like, well, now everyone forever will think I'm copying you
10:10
Right. Well, we know. We know the legend who started that beautiful arrangement and orchestration
10:19
Did you write that arrangement and orchestration? No, I didn't write the orchestration
10:23
The arrangement came about as many of the arrangements did in the band for the standards early on
10:30
It was just we'd been playing the tune over time and it took shape
10:34
And I had wanted to do the a cappella bridge up front so we added that on
10:38
And you know, there wasn't too much of an arrangement there. It was just something that had developed over playing the tune
10:44
Yeah, we're going to have to link that by the way to any of the young audience watching this
10:49
because it is, you have the live version as well from, isn't it from California
10:56
I don't know, there's a lot of versions. There's one that's very, oh, I forget the name of it
11:01
From Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. No, for the rooms, from the room. Oh, for the Rainbow Room
11:05
Rainbow Room. That's here. Oh, that's here. That's here. But there are several versions of it that have been released
11:12
Those are the three big ones. The original album version, the Sky Captain, the World of Tomorrow version, and the Rainbow Room. Yeah
11:17
Oh, it's just magnificent. And was your husband in the band at that time
11:22
Yeah, he was. He was in the band already. We've played together for 17 years
11:26
And how long have you guys been married for now? 12 years. Oh my God. We got married kind of young
11:30
Oh my God, it's incredible. So let's talk about the song that you're going to sing today with us
11:35
What made you decide to sing always? Well, it's stunning. It's beautiful and it makes me feel a lot of things
11:44
It makes me feel like I'm not going to get through it without crying. and that is a way that I know a song is really great for me
11:50
And plus, I'm a mother. And, you know, the song is about unconditional love
11:55
and never failing in your support for someone that you care about so much
12:00
And that's something that I understand more than anything as a mom. Yeah
12:05
You know, I don't know if I ever told you what Always, why I wrote Always. No
12:10
And then we'll go over to the piano and sing it. but a good friend of mine at the time who I ended up dating actually, he was diagnosed with HIV
12:20
and he came to me, I was working at Stonewall down in the West Village at the time as a bartender
12:27
sometimes shirtless, don't ask. I was sitting at the bar and he said, can I talk to you for a second
12:34
And so Chucky, who was the other person on bar, just tended bar. And I sat down with him, he said, I'm going to say something to you right now
12:40
I haven't talked to a lot of people. I just don't want you to call me after I tell you this
12:45
I don't want you to I don't think texting was even that big backup I don't want you to call me
12:50
I don't want you to email me I don't want you to reach out to me I just don't want to see your face
12:54
because you're going to act sympathetic but I know that there's something more behind it
13:00
I don't want to see it so when I tell you don't get mad at me for just walking away and leaving
13:05
and he said I'm HIV positive and literally as he said he stood up and he walked away
13:11
And that night when I got home from work, he never said that I couldn't write him a song
13:15
And so I wrote him a song and I went to his apartment in New Jersey
13:19
At that time it was on a tape. And I put the tape outside his door
13:24
And that's how it always came around. And it's about two years ago he unfortunately passed away from complications
13:33
He passed away from meningitis when there were a few cases here So it was a very hard it a hard song for me now but at the same time there so much love in it
13:48
that it's interesting. There's a line in it that I'm not a very religious person
13:53
but I'm a very spiritual person. And there's that, you know, with laughter and with prayer
13:57
And prayer is nothing that I ever was a part of as a child
14:02
I never really understood the idea of prayer. And I remember writing that lyric and thinking
14:06
oh my mom's going to say something about that oh what a prayer
14:10
but since then I pray all the time and it's every time that I have this song performed
14:18
I always know in my head I say this is a memory in honor of him
14:22
so thank you so much for joining me to sing this song
14:26
in honor and memory of him and let's do it okay You make me afraid
15:43
You have me here to guide your way For storms I will be here
15:58
I will not disappear I'm always by Your side
17:10
You had me here to hold on to With laughter and with prayer
17:21
I promise I'll be there Always by your side
17:33
At any time of day
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