It is a lifelong musical journey from the dreamy innocence of “Never Never Land” to the world-weary delusion of “Something Cool.” Yet, Jane Monheit, now firmly established as one of the post-millennial jazz world's foremost vocalists, has managed to make the trip in just eight years. In 2000, Monheit chose the sweet, escapist Peter Pan lullaby as the title tune for her debut album. Now, with The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me, she is plumbing the gin-soaked escapism of the heartrending tune made famous by June Christy in 1953.

The album's powerful, glorious maturity can, Monheit agrees, be linked to the fact that the past year has been a significant one for her, with the celebration of her 30th birthday and the birth of her and husband Rick Montalbano's first child, a son named Jack. “Because I'm a little older,” she explains, “I did something different with this record. In the past, I always chose tunes that were very truthful to me and would be believable coming from a woman of my age. But for this album, I decided to step out and play a few characters and sing some lyrics that aren't necessarily from my own life experience, but that I'm now mature enough to understand.”

The disc's title is instantly recognizable as a line from “Rainbow Connection,” the sweetly optimistic Muppets tune that closes the album. “I was actually having trouble coming up with a title,” says Monheit, “so I asked for advice from a friend of mine and within seconds he said, ‘call it The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me.' I was like, ‘oh my Lord, that is the most perfect thing I've ever heard,' because I'm playing these different characters on the record and coming from these different points of view. Every song isn't about me. So this cast of characters is the lovers, the dreamers and me.

The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me was actually created in two parts. Four of the tracks — “I'm Glad There Is You,” “Get Out of Town,” “No Tomorrow,” and “Lucky to Be Me” — were done while Monheit was still pregnant. “It was,” she recalls, “a really neat feeling to be in the studio with my son in there with me, singing beautiful tunes like “I'm Glad There Is You” and ”Lucky to Be Me.” It was a very sentimental thing. The great thing about “I'm Glad There Is You” is that the lyrics for the bridge are about starting a new chapter of your life with the person you love, and that's what Rick and I are going through right now.”