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Monika Herzig: Both Sides of Joni with Janiece Jaffe
by Jane Kozhevnikova
It is always challenging to create an album based on songs by someone as great as Joni Mitchell. Monika Herzig, pianist and composer, went for this challenge inspired by vocalist Janiece Jaffe. Although they recorded the project together, Jaffe passed away unexpectedly after heart surgery in November 2022. Shocked and devastated by the passing of her friend of 31 years, Herzig committed to finish the project and share it with the world. The album Both Sides of Joni ...
read moreMonika Herzig
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines On Monika Herzig, whose career as a jazz pianist and composer spans three decades and dozens of releases. Monika joins us to talk about the release of her reimagined set of Joni Mitchell's music, which she arranged and features vocals interpreted by her late friend, award-winning vocalist Janiece Jaffe.To quote from the liner notes: “This album is, first and foremost, about relationships: between Janiece and Monika; between the stretch of time that gave rise ...
read moreWomen in Jazz… and Only Women
by Russell Perry
In 2020, for the first time, woman musicians won half of the instrumental categories in the Jazz Journalists Association's annual awards program. To celebrate Women's History Month, we are going to turn over the next several programs to women artists, whose numbers are steadily growing within the jazz ranks, making the music stronger. This hour of Jazz at 100 Today! will explore the music of All-Women groups--Terri Lyne Carrington & The Mosaic Project, Monika Herzig's Sheroes, Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, ...
read moreMonika Herzig: Sheroes
by Jim Worsley
Composer and pianist Monika Herzig embarks on carefully scored passages against a bevy of broad sonic palettes on her 2018 release Sheroes. Herzig has long championed female empowerment in jazz, as well as other forms of music. For Sheroes she assembled an international cast featuring many of the finest musicians in the world. A total of nine musicians, including Herzig, brought their wealth of talent and band leading skills into the studio. The results are rewarding and sophisticated ...
read moreMonika Herzig: A Portrait of a Hero
by Hrayr Attarian
German-born and US-based pianist, author and composer Monika Herzig released her most accomplished work to date the sublime Sheroes in March of 2018. This cohesive album is a celebration of women in music and particularly jazz, on it Herzig's group of women instrumentalists stimulatingly interpret several originals and two covers. Herzig has a doctorate in music education and is a Senior Lecturer at Indiana University in Bloomington. She also has authored two books and has several recordings both as a ...
read moreMonika Herzig: Sheroes
by Hrayr Attarian
Pianist and composer Monika Herzig pays tribute to women in jazz, on her captivating Sheroes. The artistically superlative, all-female band explores various cadences, harmonies and moods on this exquisite album, all the while deftly maintaining thematic unity. Eight of the tracks are originals by ensemble members, and two are Herzig-arranged covers. These are the traditional “House of the Rising Sun" and singer-songwriter Valerie Simpson's (of Ashford/Simpson fame) classic “Ain't No Mountain High Enough." The latter opens ...
read moreMonika Herzig: Come With Me
by Edward Blanco
Pianist Monika Herzig presents her second Owl Studios album in combination with award-winning documentary filmmaker Susanne Schwibs. Come With Me is a unique CD/DVD project that includes a 30-minute story of her work including an interview, concert footage and special features of live performances. The music though, is the main course of this dish served warm, tender and delicious with every tasting. Offering a majority of originals, Herzig was astute enough to also include fresh arrangements of covers by Bob ...
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