For three decades, the Grammy-nominated pianist/composer/ arranger David Benoit has reigned supreme as one the founding fathers of contemporary jazz. But, like an actor who has been known primarily for one role, he wanted to show other dimensions of his artistry. “I’ve done records where I had a token vocal tune, all the way back to my first album,” Benoit says. “But I never did an entire record (with vocals). So the thought here was to do something really different.” The result is Benoit’s thirty-fifth recording as a leader and his first with a vocalist, Jane Monheit.