The Jana Nyberg Group - Jana (2008)

I love singing standards - they're what I grew up with. Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn's vocal lines filled our home. I owe my appreciation for Jazz to my parents, who introduced me to America's original art form. I have much respect for artists like Billie who endured so much - that's where her soul comes from. Her distinct, empty, longing quality cannot be replicated, it is authentic, raw and organic. I strive to capture this kind of emotive quality when I attempt to pay tribute to what those before me have mastered. Of course it also helps to have a group of increadibly talented musicians to work with. I feel so lucky every time I take the stage with these guys.