Motéma Music is an independent American record label focused on jazz and world music, as well as other creative projects by virtuosic musicians and composers. It was founded by Jana Herzen in San Francisco in 2003, and is now based in Harlem, New York City. Among the artists on the label are Gregory Porter, Ginger Baker, Monty Alexander, Kellylee Evans, Randy Weston, Charnett Moffett, Geri Allen, Lynne Arriale, Rufus Reid, Marc Cary, Jean-Michel Pilc, Lakecia Benjamin, and René Marie. The name means "heart" in the African language of Lingala. Motéma has been described as "what Blue Note was to the jazz labels of the 60s...for the 21st century" and "a welcoming beacon, documenting brilliant improvisers who are rapidly expanding the art form."
Motéma Music was begun in the San Francisco Bay Area. A production company since 1997, it became a label after signing Babatunde Lea for his album, Soul Pools. Jana Herzen, a singer-songwriter who composed and performed on "'Round the World" on Soul Pools, was trying to get out some records and created the label to do so, never intending to be a CEO. Herzen chose the name because of its similarity to the sound of "Motown".
Herzen moved the label to New York in 2005 to be closer to the action. At one time, the label was based in the third floor of the Langston Hughes House. The label has since changed locations but remains in Harlem. The Motéma logo was designed by Winston Smith.
The label is very artist-centric and focuses on each artist's individual development. It is because of this reputation that such highly respected artists such as Geri Allen and Rufus Reid came to the label. Herzen attributes this to her being an artist herself.
Roni Ben-Hur and Jana Herzen founded the Jazz Therapy series as a benefit for the Dizzy Gillespie Memorial Fund of the Englewood Hospital and Medical Center Foundation in Englewood, New Jersey, which underwrites medical care for uninsured jazz musicians who are unable to pay for medical care. The series so far has included CDs by Ben-Hur and Ithamara Koorax and Juarez Moreira. Ben-Hur met Nilson Matta in the performance lounge of Englewood Hospital, which led to their collaboration on the third release in the series.
Babatunde Lea - Soul Pools with Ku-umba Frank Lacy, Hilton Ruiz, John Benîtez, Mario Rivera, Kevin Jones, Jana Herzen, Raul Midon, Ernie Watts, Geoff Brennan 7-09363-7136-2
Babatunde Lea - Level of Intent with Jon Faddis, Charnette Moffett [sic], Hilton Ruiz, Frank Colón, John Purcell, Frank Lacy, Tommy James, Santi Debriano, Kenny Barron, Marvin Horn 8-20320-0047-2 (reissue of a 1996 Diaspora Records album)
Lynne Arriale Trio (Jay Anderson, Steve Davis) - Arise MTM71372
Babatunde Lea - Suite Unseen: Summoner of the Ghost with Steve Rurre, Richard Howell, Glen Pearson, Geoff Brennan, Ron Belcher, Bujo Kevin Jones MTM 00002
Jana Herzen - Soup's on Fire MOTEMA 6681-2
Discomind - The Fresh Turnout unnumbered [digital download; physical CDs are promotional items only]
DJ Jackie Christie - Made 4 U RAD 90079-2
Lynn Arriale Trio (Jay Anderson, Steve Davis) - Come Together MTM 00001
Marc Cary - Focus with David Ewell, Sameer Gupta MTM-00005
Bujo Kevin Jones with Kelvin Sholar, George Makinto, Brian Horton, Kevin Louis, Damon Warmack, Jamieo Brown - Tenth World MTM 0000-3
Kit McClure Band - Just the Thing: The Sweethearts Project Revisited RH 9005
Lynne Arrialle Trio (Jay Anderson, Steve Davis) - Live MTM-00007
Marc Cary & Shon 'Chance' Miller - XR Project: AbStraKt|BlaK MTM-00004
Pete Levin - Deacon Blues featuring Joe Beck, Mike DeMicco, Danny Gottlieb, Tony Levin, Ken Lovelett, Carlos Valdez MTM-0008
Roni Ben-Hur - Keepin' It Open with Jeremy Pelt, Ronnie Mathews, Santi Debriano, Lewis Nash, Steve Kroon 232537
Rufus Reid Quintet (Sumi Tonooka, Tim Horner, Freddie Hendrix, Rich Perry) - Live at the Kennedy Center MTM-00009 (CD+DVD)
Ryan Cohan - One Sky with Bob Sheppard, Geof Bradfield, Tito Carillo, James Cammack, Lorin Cohen, Kobie Watkins, Ruben Alvarez, Jean-Christophe Leroy MTM-00012
Amy London - When I Look in Your Eyes featuring John Hicks, Lee Musiker, Roni Ben-Hur, Rufus Reid, Leroy Williams, Chris Byars MTM-00011
KJ Denhert - Lucky 7 MTM-00014
Antonio Ciacca Quintet (Kengo Nakamura, Rodney Green, Stacy Dillard, Joe Magnarelli) - Rush Life 232536
Bujo Kevin Jones - Bujo Kevin Jones & Tenth World Live! with Kelvin Sholar, Brian Horton, Kevin Louis, Joshua David, Jaimeo Brown MTM-00020
KJ Denhert - Dal Vivo a Umbria Jazz with Bennett Paster, Ray Lavier, Mamadou Ba, John Caban, and featuring Aaron Heick MTM - 00017
The New Jazz Composers Octet - The Turning Gate MTM-00019
Roni Ben-Hur, Gene Bertoncini - Smile: Jazz Therapy, Volume 1 MTM - 00018
Lynne Arriale - Nuance: The Bennett Studio Sessions featuring Randy Brecker, George Mraz, Anthony Pinciotti MTM-00022
Charnett Moffett - The Art of Improvisation with Will Calhoun, Yunchen Lhamo, Pat Jones MTM-21
Sertab Erener, Demir Demirkan - Painted on Water MTM23
Oran Etkin - Kelenia MTM - 24
Tessa Souter - Obsession MTM-27
Babatunde Lea's Umbo Weti: A Tribute to Leon Thomas with Dwight Trible, Ernie Watts, Patrice Rushen, Gary Brown MTM-25
Alexis Cole - The Greatest Gift MTM-26
N.E.D. - No Evidence of Disease MTM-29
Ithamara Koorax, Juarez Moreira - Bim Bom - The Complete João Gilberto Songbook (Jazz Therapy, Vol. 2) MTM-30
Roni Ben-Hur - Fortuna with Ronnie Mathews, Rufus Reid, Lewis Nash, Steve Kroon MTM-28
2009 Motéma Summer Sampler
Antonio Ciacca Quintet (Kengo Nakamura, Ulysses Owens, Stacy Dillard, Steve Grossman) - Lagos Blues MTM-32
2009 Motéma Winter Sampler
Rufus Reid featuring Steve Allee & Duduka da Fonseca - Out Front MTM-36
Tomoko Sugawara - Along the Silk Road with Robert Dick and Ozan Aksöy MTM-31
Geri Allen - Flying Toward the Sound MTM-37
Lynne Arriale - Solo MTM-38 [unreleased]
Sertab Erener, Demir Demirkan - Love (EP) MTM-44 [digital download; only promo CDs exist]
Marc Cary - Focus Trio Live 2009 MTM-33
Patrick Stanfield Jones - A Heart and an Open Road with Barry Wiesenfeld, Don Gardner, Steven 'Muddy' Roues, Rave Tesar, Jana Herzen, Kit McClure, Erik Lawrence, Chip Larison MTM-39
Gregory Porter - Water MTM-41
Charnett Moffett - Treasure MTM-43
Geri Allen and Timeline - Live MTM-42
Ryan Cohan - Another Look MTM-45
Motéma Music Summer Sampler 2010
Oran Etkin - Wake Up Clarinet! MTM-TMB-46-1
Sameer Gupta - Namaskar with Marc Cary, Pt. Ramesh Misra, Srinivas Reddy, David Boyce, Prasant Radhakrishnan, Charith Premawardanan, David Ewell MTM-49
Randy Weston - The Storyteller MTM-51
KJ Denhert - Album No. 9 MTM-47
Bettina Jonic - The Bitter Mirror: Songs by Bob Dylan and Bertolt Brecht MTM-50 (reissue of 1975 album)
Lynne Arriale - Convergence MTM-54
Rondi Charleston - Who Knows Where the Time Goes with Dave Stryker, James Genus, Clarence Penn, Lynne Arriale, Brandon McCune, Mayra Casales MTM-55
Amy London - Let's Fly featuring Roni Ben-Hur, Santi Debriano, Steve Williams, Steve Kroon, Tadro Hammer, Glauco Sagebin, Richard Wyands MTM-56
T.K. Blue - Latin Bird featuring Willie Martinez, Roland Guerrero, Essiet O. Essiet, Theo Hill and special guests Lewis Nash, Steve Turre MTM-57
2011 Motéma Music Sampler
Rufus Reid & Out Front (Steve Allee & Duduka da Fonseca) featuring Toninho Horta, Bobby Watson, Freddie Hendrix, JD Allen - Hues of a Different Blue MTM-58
René Marie - Voice of My Beautiful Country MTM-59
Malika Zarra - Berber Taxi MTM-60
Nilson Matta and Roni Ben-Hur with Victor Lewis and Café - Mojave - Jazz Therapy, Vol. 3 MTM-64
Jean-Michel Pilc - Essential MTM-61
Roseanna Vitro - The Music of Randy Newman, arranged by Mark Soskin with Sara Caswell, Dean Johnson, Tim Horner, Jamey Haddad, Steve Cardenas MTM-65
Monty Alexander - Harlem - Kingston Express Live! with Karl Wright, Yotam Silberstein, Hassan Shakur, Obed Calvaire. Robert Thomas, Hoova Simpson, Andy Bassford MTM-67
JC Stylles featuring Pat Bianchi and Lawrence Leathers - Exhilaration and Other States MTM-68
Geri Allen - A Child Is Born MTM-69
A Moving Sound - A Moving Sound [compilation from their second and third albums] MTM-71
Pilc Moutin Hoenig - Threedom MTM-72
David Murray Cuban Ensemble - Plays Nat King Cole en Español with special guests Daniel Melingo, Juanjo Mosalini, The Sinfonieta of Sines MTM-73
René Marie - Black Lace Freudian Slip with Kevin Bales, Rodney Jordan, Kenneth Baxter, Quentin Baxter, Bill Kopper, Lionel Young, Dexter Payne, Michael A. Croan MTM-74
Pilc Moutin Hoenig - Threedom
Gregory Porter - 1960 What? The Remixes
Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio - The 11th Gate
Elio Villafranca, Arturo Stable - Dos y Mas
Gregory Porter - Be Good
Lynne Arriale - Sira
Joe Locke / Geoffrey Keezer Group - Signing
Ablaye Cissoko / Volker Goetze - Amanke Dionti
Tessa Souter - Beyond The Blue
Brazilian Trio - Constelação
The Cookers - Believe
Lakecia Benjamin - Retox
Roni Ben-Hur, Santi Debriano - Our Thing
Alexis Cole, Jeremy Kahn, Frank Basile, Kevin Bales, et al. - Joy Road: The Complete Works of Pepper Adams, Volumes 1-5
David Murray Infinity Quartet featuring Macy Gray & Gregory Porter - Be My Monster Love MTM 112
Geri Allen - Grand River Crossings MTM 128
'The Joe Locke Quartet with Lincoln's Symphony Orchestra - Wish Upon A Star
Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - The Offense of the Drum
Ginger Baker - Why?
Kellylee Evans - I Remember When
Omer Avital - New Song
Oran Etkin - Gathering Light
The Cookers - Time and Time Again
Brian Jackson & Kentyah Frazer - Evolutionary Minded, furthering the Legacy of Gil Scott-Heron
Joe Locke - Love Is A Pendulum
Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra - Cuba: The Conversation Continues
Shai Maestro Trio - Untold Stories
