Jan Wheaton, the small woman with turtle-shell framed glasses, astounds many with her rendition of “Embraceable You,” biting down on every note, squeezing out the emotional power with her jaws. “Embrace me-eh-ee-eh-ee, my sweet em-BRACE-able yooouuuuuuu.”

Wheaton is an integral part of Madison’s jazz scene. At the Hilton Hotel or maybe at Fyfe’s Corner Bistro, she croons to and swoons the crowd. “I do songs that tell stories,” she says with a voice softer than expected of a soulful jazz chanteuse. “The music is the important thing. It’s not about me. This is really finding music, and it should not die.”

Wheaton keeps it alive because it’s always been a part of her life. She grew up in a musical family, but since her parents did not want her to make a career out of singing, she studied science in college. Looking back, she appreciates their advice because while singing may be her passion, it did not earn her a living.

Over the years, Wheaton kept her love for music alive by living a double-life: in front of an audience during the day, in front of a mic at night. For years she worked at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, both as a Dean and teacher. On the side, she sang accompanied by piano player Harris Lemberg, published two albums, the latest called “Love’s 3 Faces,” and kept her art alive.

Now retired, she devotes most of her time singing and focusing on herself. “It’s like what I expect dying and going to heaven must be,” she says. “This is the first time in my life in which I have been completely in charge of my life.

“I figure if I can live to be 110,” she adds, “I’ll get to do all the things I want to get to do. Stay healthy, stay out of jail, and keep doing music.” She smiles, winking.