The heyday of jazz in New York City may have been the 1950’s, ’60 and the ‘70s, yet that timeless candle is alive and well on Let Your Heart Lead The Way, the 2025 album by storied jazz singer and Bronx native Marilyn Kleinberg. Released on the Waking Up Music imprint, the 11-track, 42-minute album has a renewed feel, thanks in no small part to the memorable jazz classics featured here.

The album took shape early on when Chromatic Harmonica player Will Galison caught Ms. Kleinberg performing at a Brooklyn jazz venue where she was performing with John DiMartino (piano) and Noriko Ueda (bass). With Galison offering to produce a new album for the singer, the music took shape with Will and drumming Victor Lewis joining the date. The album’s quintet jazz sound is quite effective and the chromatic harmonica gives the sound a jazzy sound view.

Musically, aside from well-known standards, like Burt Bacharach’s “Alfie” and the album closing “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” by Rogers & Hart, the song selection makes for a jazz enthusiast's dream come true. Standards by Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen, Stevie Wonder, Arthur Schwartz, Frank Loesser and others gives the album an inspirational feel. Arlen’s classic from The Wizard Of Oz, “If I Only Had A Brain” adds in a rarely heard introductory verse not featured in the movie.

Featuring first class playing all around, a wide selection of music, including some seldom heard jazz classics all wrapped around the artist’s classy vocals makes Let Your Heart Lead The Way a tasteful introduction celebrated NYC jazz vocalist Marilyn Kleinberg. The album producer is featuring the album on his website. 

 

RMR speaks to Marilyn Kleinberg

RMR: Tell us about growing up in New York. I didn’t know your father was part of Allen & Rossi. You came from a showbiz family, so how did that fast forward into your interest in jazz? What music interested you early on and what part of NYC were you born in and what part do you live now?

Marilyn Kleinberg: It’s a wild story, actually. My dad was always a comedian—in spirit and in practice—but he started out as a New York City cab driver. One day in his 40s, he picked up a passenger: the legendary boxer Rocky Graziano. My dad had him laughing the entire ride to Madison Square Garden. At the end of it, Rocky said, “What are you doing driving a cab? You should be a comedian. Park the cab and come with me.” Somehow, that chance encounter opened the door. He went into Madison Square Garden with Rocky and was introduced to Martha Raye, and it was like something out of a movie. He went from cab driving to the Vegas stage, and had this incredible 46-year career in comedy.

So yeah, I grew up in a house full of humor and performance. We were from the Bronx originally, and music was always in the air. My brother was in the school yard singing doo-wop with his friends, and I followed him around constantly. That really sparked my love of singing. When we moved to Yonkers in the late 1960s, I was close enough to the city to see the greats—Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin. Janis was a real inspiration to me. I actually wanted to grow up to be like her and run an orphanage for kids—I even took a course for a year on how to care for children!

But the road curved, as it often does. I met some musicians, was in an all-female rock band, and we ended up opening for Allen & Rossi. That was my first taste of being in front of a real audience, and I loved it.

Somewhere around that time—just before or during my years with the funk band—I fell completely in love with Stevie Wonder. I realized my vocal range was really close to his, and I sang along to all of his records. That’s how I really learned how to sing... His music was like a vocal school for me, and it deepened my love not just for soul and R&B, but for musical expression in general.

From there, I joined a 10-piece funk band that toured the country for two years. That was one of the great experiences of my life. It was the horn players in that band who first introduced me to jazz. We’d listen to records on the road and I was hooked.

Back in New York, I was on my own and started waitressing in jazz clubs in the late 1970s and early ’80s—clubs that were just full of life and talent. That’s where I met the pianist Harry Whitaker. He really changed my life. One day he said, “Marilyn, you’re an artist—what are you doing waiting tables?” He took me under his wing. We’d rehearse at his place, and he gave me the confidence to start singing jazz in front of an audience.

I always say I got my education at the University of NYC Jazz Clubs. I was fortunate to see legends—Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, Shirley Horn, Miles Davis, Ron Carter, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Kenny Kirkland, the Marsalis brothers, and so many more. I eventually started singing in the very clubs I had waitressed in. It’s been an incredible full-circle journey.

I moved from Yonkers to Greenwich Village during that time, and I still live and sing in Manhattan today. I kind of missed all the pop music after 1975 because I became such a jazz head—but I wouldn’t trade that for anything

 

RMR: Is Let Your Heart Lead The Way your full album debut and what other artist's albums or tracks have you been featured on over the course of your career? Have you worked with other artists in the studio or in a live setting?

Marilyn Kleinberg: Yes, Let Your Heart Lead the Way is really my official debut in terms of a fully realized jazz album. But back in the 1990s, I did release an earlier project called Romance Dance. That album was more of a personal exploration—an early expression of my love for music. I learned a lot through that process, but Let Your Heart Lead the Way feels like my true arrival as a jazz vocalist.

I’ve collaborated with so many wonderful musicians over the years, especially here in New York City. Most of my experience has been on stage—live performance has always felt like home to me, more than the studio ever did. It was actually Will Gallison who really encouraged me to get into the studio for this album. He brought such great energy and vision to the project.

The musicians on this album are people I’ve worked with regularly—some for decades. They’re not just colleagues; they’re dear friends, and we’ve been making music together in various forms for over 30 years. Even with Will—we’ve known each other a long time, so it felt very natural coming together for this.

Over the years, I’ve had the honor of working with and sitting in with so many incredible artists like, Kenny Kirkland, Harry Whitaker, Larry Willis, John DiMartino, Ron Carter, Jaco Pastorius, Buster Williams, Alex Blake, Hiram Bullock, Cindy Blackman, Victor Lewis, Buddy Williams, Saul Rubin, Pat O’Leary and many others who helped shape my path and deepen my love of jazz.

 

RMR: Album producer Will Galison heard you one night at a Brooklyn nightclub and decided to record your band adding his harmonica and the drums of Victor Lewis. Is that pretty much what happened? Tell us about the musical chemistry between you and Will as well about arranger John Di Martino. Victor Lewis is a renowned drummer so you have a top band on the album.

Marilyn Kleinberg: Yes, that’s pretty much how it happened! Will Galison came to hear us one night at a jazz club in Brooklyn, and like what often happens in those kinds of settings, he sat in with us for a tune. There was just something in the air that night—some real musical chemistry—and I think Will felt it too. After the set, he turned to John DiMartino, who was on piano, and said something like, “We should make an album.” And that was really the spark. The seed was planted by Will, and I’m so grateful he had that vision.

It was one of those magical nights where everything just clicked. That moment led to this beautiful collaboration, and I couldn’t have asked for a more inspiring group of musicians. The band on this album is phenomenal—every single one of them.

Working with John DiMartino as the arranger was a dream; he brings such depth and elegance to the music. And having Victor Lewis on drums? That was huge. He’s such a renowned and respected artist, and he brought a grounding presence to the whole session.

Noriko Ueda on bass? She’s just phenomenal. She’s not only an incredible bassist, but also a powerful woman in this genre, which makes her contribution even more special. I can’t say enough about her—she’s simply the best. Working with these musicians, who I consider family, has been one of the greatest honors of my career.

 

RMR: Who did A&R for the album? Are these songs you have known for a long time? What is your relationship with these songs and songwriters? Being a jazz connoisseur I imagine you know most of these songs inside out. There are two Frank Loesser related songs. There’s also a rarely heard Duke Ellington song called “I Didn’t Know About You” and an album track by Stevie Wonder song called “Visions”. Why did you pick those tracks for example?

Marilyn Kleinberg: Really, Will Galison took the lead on the A&R for the album—he was at the helm of the whole project. His vision, his musical sensitivity, and his ability to bring the right people together made this album possible. He has such a deep sense of artistry, and I’m so grateful he believed in the project and helped shape it from beginning to end.

When we began the process, they said to me, “Pick 11 songs.” That was such a meaningful challenge, because each one had to count. And every song I chose had a reason behind it—an emotional connection, a memory, or just something in the lyric that struck a deep chord in me.

I like to say I’m not just a jazz singer—I’m a love song singer. That’s really the heart of who I am. It’s the lyrics that pull me in. That’s where it starts for me—the words. When a lyric tells a story or reveals something true about love or longing or hope, that’s what pulls my spirit forward and makes me want to sing it.

Whether it’s the two Frank Loesser songs, the rarely heard Duke Ellington tune “I Didn’t Know About You”, or Stevie Wonder’s “Visions”—what connects them all for me is the emotional truth at their core. These songs speak to love in its many forms, and that’s really what I try to bring through in my singing. I want people to feel that love in the music.

Of course, the arrangements and the musicians are a huge part of what brings these songs to life. It’s that beautiful alchemy between the composer, the lyricist, the interpreter, and the band that creates something real. I hope when people hear the album, they feel that—that they hear the love and intention in every note. But ultimately, you’ll have to listen and judge for yourself.

 

RMR: As far as writing new music, recording and performing concerts, what do you have planned for 2025 and into the later part of the year?

Marilyn Kleinberg: I’m really excited about what’s ahead. Now that Let Your Heart Lead the Way is out in the world, I want to keep the momentum going. Performing live is where I feel most at home—it’s where the music really breathes—so I definitely have plans for more concerts throughout 2025, both in New York and hopefully beyond. I’d love to bring this album to more people, more places, more hearts.

And I’m starting to think about the next recording project, too. One idea that’s especially close to my heart—my real dream project—is an album called Marilyn Kleinberg Loves Stevie Wonder. His music has meant so much to me over the years, not just as a listener but as a singer. His melodies, his messages, his range—it’s all so deeply inspiring to me. I actually learned to sing by singing along with Stevie Wonder records. I found my voice through his songs. So doing a full album in tribute to him would be a real labor of love.

I’m staying open to where the music leads me, but I do know that I want to keep making music that’s rooted in feeling, in spirit, and in love. That’s always going to be the compass.