Jana Herzen
Internationally acclaimed jazz and world beat multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Jana Herzen was born in 1950 in San Francisco, California. She is known for her unique blend of folk, jazz, pop, and world music, as well as being the founder of the Grammy-winning label Motéma Music. The daughter of renowned scientists, Leonard and Leonore Herzenberg, she grew up on the campus of Stanford University where her parents taught. Between 1980 and 1982, Jana Herzen studied drama in New York. Along with some of her college classmates, she founded the Manhattan Glass Company theater group, for which she worked in various positions for a decade. It was during a trip to Japan, Bali and Australia in 1991 that she composed the songs for her first album. The album was recorded in San Francisco and Paris between 1994 and 1997 and featured Congolese musician and producer Shaka Ra Mutela. The album, Soup's on Fire, was finally released in 2003 on her own label, Motéma Music. The independent record company created in San Francisco then moved to Harlem, New York and added many jazz and world music artists to its roster including Geri Allen, Gregory Porter, Marc Cary, Karrin Allyson, Monty Alexander, Joey Alexander, David Murray, Kellylee Evans, Jean-Michel Pilc, The Cookers, Donny McCaslin, Mark Guiliana and bassist Charnett Moffett. Jana Herzen released her second album, Passion of a Lonely Heart, in 2012, followed six years later by Overtones (2018), a collaboration with Charnett Moffett under the group name Nett Duo. Their collaboration continued on two albums released in 2020: Nothing But Love was released under her own name while Round the World was credited to both names. Throughout her career, she worked on many albums released by her label, either as a side artist, producer, or executing producer. In 2021, Jana Herzen released her first live album, simply titled Live.
©Copyright Music Story Stephen Schnee 2023
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'Round the World
Vocal Jazz - Released by Motema Music, LLC on May 29, 2020
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
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Passion of a Lonely Heart
Jazz - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Sep 10, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Killing Me Softly / Land Down Under
Vocal Jazz - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Apr 17, 2020
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Charnett Moffett Trio: Live (Live)
Jazz - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Oct 22, 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
With an Open Heart / Lightening the Load
Classical - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Oct 8, 2019
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Overtones
Nett Duo, Charnett Moffett, Jana Herzen
Jazz - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Dec 28, 2018
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Soup's on Fire
Rock - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Jan 1, 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Shepherd 2 New Jerusalem (New York Session)
Free Jazz & Avant-Garde - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Mar 8, 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kapolioka'ehukai (Tribute to Rell Sunn)
Jazz - Released by Motema on Jul 31, 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Kapolioka'ehukai (Tribute to Rell Sunn)
Jazz - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Jul 31, 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
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In the Name of Love (Live)
Classical - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Jan 22, 2021
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Like a River (Live)
Classical - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Dec 18, 2020
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Sweetheart / 'Round the World (Slow Down)
Vocal Jazz - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Mar 27, 2020
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Mystery
Nett Duo, Charnett Moffett, Jana Herzen
Jazz - Released by Motema Music, LLC on Feb 10, 2021
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -