PRESS RELEASES
Monika Herzig | “Transparent”
International Jazz Pianist and Humanitarian Monika Herzig Expands her
Extensive LP Catalog with Her New Instrumental Jazz Album Transparent,
Which Merges Listenable Instrumental Melodies with Exciting Themes
Transparent (the Title a Play on Words Nodding to Both Clarity and Parenting a Transgender Child) is a Portrait in Modern Jazz of Yesterday and Tomorrow
Featuring Peter Kienle (guitar), Tom Clark (saxophone), Jeremy Allen (bass) and Karina Colis (drums), and guests Joe Donnelly (flute/saxophone) and Ted Nash (saxophone)
Available March 6, 2026 via Key of B Records
Stream New Singles Starting January 2026
International jazz pianist and humanitarian Monika Herzig expands her extensive album catalog with her new instrumental jazz album Transparent, which merges listenable instrumental melodies with exciting themes, Transparent, the title a play on words nodding to both clarity and parenting a transgender child, is a portrait in modern jazz of yesterday and tomorrow. Highlighting Herzig’s renowned original compositions as well as a reimagination of Elton John’s hit “Your Song,” Transparent is a sleek 11-track collection of carefully curated new modern classics.
Working with Herzig on Transparent was a band of longtime collaborators and allies including her husband Peter Kienle (guitar), Tom Clark (saxophone), Jeremy Allen (bass) and Karina Colis (drums). Featured artists include Joe Donnelly on “Shadow” and “Etch-A-Sketch” (flute/saxophone) and on “Look Out” and “Please Forget,” fellow trans parent and lead alto for the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Ted Nash (saxophone).
Herzig’s extensive career has established her as a global force of modern instrumental jazz. With Transparent she stands boldly, unyielding to societal pressure, to proclaim her motherly love for her own family.
According to the U.S. Transgender Population Health Survey from Transpop, 81 percent of transgender adults in the U.S. have thought about suicide, 42 percent of transgender adults have attempted it, and 56 percent have engaged in non-suicidal self-injury over their lifetimes.
“You see they’re grappling. They have issues, and it’s more than regular puberty,” Herzig says. “But nobody knows exactly [what they’re going through].”
With the changing landscape of individual freedoms in the United States and worldwide, Herzig’s empowered album is a stark statement in a society of grey areas. Herzig’s graceful melodic lines are punctuated by slick stops and unexpected turns, much like parenting can be. Made possible by a 2025 South Arts Creative Residency Grant, Transparent was composed as part of a research project honoring transgender persons and their families. Herzig’s extensive career has established her as a global force of modern instrumental jazz.
Track by Track Commentary
“Melody Erased” documents the process of name changing. “You can hear there is urgency, there is some conflict evolving, some turbulence, and the heartbeat is racing,” Herzig says. “Eventually, in the end, it finds a groove again.” Here, Herzig demonstrates dexterity for both melody and storytelling with finesse. Towards its conclusion, voices are embedded in the mix before emerging with clarity, encouraging you to participate in the music by listening with intention.
“Please Forget” reflects the experiences of children pleading with their parents to let them forget about their old persona. The 7/4 time signature mirrors the conflict of deserting their old life in the need to become who they truly are, with an emotional soprano sax solo from Nash bringing home the reality of such a monumental journey.
High-tempo swing number “Look Out” reflects what follows the transformation process, written through the perspective of an empowered trans person. There’s a sense of happiness and relief; “I know who I am, and nothing can stop me…” “It’s true that there’s a lot to be learnt about authenticity from the trans community.
“Bring Us Together (B.U.T)” represents Herzig’s hope for people with opposing views to find common ground. “We are in either/or and that’s no mode of existence,” Herzig says. The track presents two “opposing” time signatures; triplets on the “top’ and a two on the ‘bottom,’ which eventually revolve into a single groove. It’s another example of how Herzig’s conversational case studies have informed the music making process.
“Etch-A-Sketch” zooms in on a parent learning to see their child differently— “eventually they just want you to shake it up and start from scratch,” said a parent during the focus groups—whilst Invincible celebrates the resilience of the young trans community; “those kids… once they find their authentic voice, nothing can bring them down—they’re determined,” Herzig says. The track benefits from a moreish Latin-American groove held down by Mexican drummer Colis; a motion that keeps moving forward, and nothing can break it.
A depth of groove continues with flamenco rhythms and melodies reminiscent of the Middle East on “Dance in Harmony,” a track dedicated to “all the understanding siblings and those who do not push against—who just dance in harmony together, no matter what culture they come from.”
“Sacred Earth,” which was previewed as part of a suite at Germany’s Enjoy Jazz Festival,” enables reflection in its spaciousness. It’s a prompt for us to “be open to nature and not dictate it so.”
Naturally, there are darker moments on the album, too. “Shadow” is a suspenseful number that builds tension with its dynamic variation and a well-travelled flute solo from Donnelly. Through its dissonance, the track invites us to consider the mental health of the transgender community who are villainized and scapegoated daily, whether by trolls on social media or political figures.
“Transparent Hood” is Kienle’s main moment which is reflective of his emergence during the ‘70s era of jazz rock. However, Kienle swaps the guitar for the banjo, his fingerpicking delivering a fresh texture delivered upon a head-nodding beat.
An intimate version of Elton John’s “Your Song” is a delicate and fitting album closer. It’s a reinterpretation of a track by one of pop music’s greatest composers and artists. John didn’t hide who he was, but instead stood proudly as a visible member of the LGBTQIA+
community whilst contributing to the popular echelon. Herzig pulls heartfelt blues into her melodious reimagining of a pop classic, which is also one of her trans child’s favorite songs.
About Monika Herzig
Monika Herzig is a decorated lecturer and performer of jazz. She holds the prestigious Vice Rector chair at Jam Music Lab University in Vienna and will soon celebrate the 15th anniversary of the publication of her book David Baker: A Legacy in Music (2011, Indiana University Press). Herzig has been featured at major festivals and on historic stages around the world and leads the elite all-female jazz group Sheroes. Monika Herzig is based in both Vienna and in Indiana, where she shares a home with husband, guitarist and composer Peter Kienle.
Meet Monika Herzig
Monika Herzig · Transparent
Key of B Records · Release Date: March 6, 2026
For more information on Monika Herzig, please visit:
For media inquiries, please contact:
DL Media · (610) 420-8470
Don Lucoff · don@dlmediamusic.com
Roberta Lawrence · roberta@dlmediamusic.com
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