Jenna Mammina has been recognized as one of the leading women of jazz/pop crossover for three years in a row by Jazziz magazine. What? You haven’t heard of her. She’s performed with luminaries like Ricki Lee Jones, Bobby McFerrin, Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, Phish, and Rosemary Clooney, but you still may not have heard her name. She does about 200 concerts a year and has appeared at Yoshi’s in Oakland, SFJAZZ, and at noted festivals like JazzAspen and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, but that still doesn’t guarantee name recognition. The point is that it’s really difficult for an independent artist to get a following, even an artist as talented as Mammina who released her first album almost 20 years ago.
I caught up with Mammina at the California Audio Show in Oakland a few weeks ago and asked her why she chose to be a recording artist, especially these days when you’re at the mercy of a very fickle public that determines your success. “I didn’t choose it. It chose me. I am blessed to be able to do what I do, but it’s really hard. It doesn’t afford me the luxury of things but the luxury of people and experiences.” Laughing, she said if anyone asked her for advice on pursuing such a career today, she’d tell him or her to go to medical school.
Mammina and her Midnight Ladies album released last year are examples of why audiophiles should be ever so grateful to Cookie Marenco and Blue Coast Music for putting seriously good talent like Mammina together with state-of-the-art recording technology to produce recordings that are worthy of being played on our high-end systems. Even your non-audiophile friends will enjoy kicking back and listening to this album of mostly James Taylor songs with you. With those friends, however, you might want to lay off the technical stuff about the quality of the recording and just let them think it’s your system that makes it sound sooo good.
Musical Influences
From what I’ve learned interviewing recording artists, I need to get my 4-year-old granddaughter started NOW if she’s going to be a successful musician. And maybe giving her to another family to raise, one that’s musical, would also be a good idea. Obviously, that’s not going to happen, but that seems to be the key to success for the recording artists I’ve talked to.
Mammina’s parents were professional musicians, and along with her two brothers and her sister, her family was the choir at a large Catholic church in Benton Harbor, Mich. So, she also learned to perform for an audience at a very early age. She told me that recently she was sitting with her parents and she started to sing. Her dad smiled at her mom and said, “We’ve been listening to her sing all of her life.” And, yes, there’s the reason her recording label is named Mamma Grace Records in honor of her mother.
About the Album
“Magic comes out of it,” at least that’s what Mammina says about her recording sessions with Marenco. “She doesn’t pressure me, but she knows what she can get from me, and she knew what she could get from me before I knew what she could get.” And the two have a great working relationship, which shows through in the finished product. Mammina claims they connected instantly because they are both Italian.
To date, Mammina has recorded three albums with Blue Coast and contributed to several multi-artist collections. People always ask her which of her albums is her favorite. “They are my children, and I can’t pick out a favorite,” she says. Well, Midnight Ladies, a stunningly beautiful album from Mammina with John R. Burr on piano released last year, is a new favorite for me. It is pure magic — James Taylor magic with 7 of the 10 songs written by him.
The album starts with “Free Man in Paris,” a classic for Elton John and Neil Diamond, but if you think this is an unusual song for a woman to sing, remember it was written and first recorded by Joni Mitchell. While Mammina wistfully sings the tale of the dream-maker, Burr’s piano accompaniment is simply stunningly good. Next up, it’s time for a little soul with the Motown classic “How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You”, where Mammina’s vocal dynamics go from whisper soft to powerful and husky and always very listenable.
The last song on the album not written by Taylor is the classic “Silver Threads and Golden Needles” by Jack Rhodes and Dick Reynolds and first recorded by Wanda Jackson in 1956. I grew up thinking this was a country music song, and the queens of country music, Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, and Loretta Lynn each recorded it, but Linda Ronstadt recorded it as well. You’re “pickin’ high cotton” as my daddy would have said when you take on a song that’s been sung by these ladies. And, Jenna, “you did it proud.”
The James Taylor songs on the album are pure classics and come from different time periods in his career. “Something in the Way She Moves” is one of Taylor’s earliest songs, and Mammina delivers it well with her wistful, mesmerizing phrasing. “Mexico,” “Shower the People” and “Sweet Baby James” prove well-written songs have staying power, although Mammina and Burr add their own special touches. “Traffic Jam” and “Summer’s Here” give Mammina and Burr a chance to showcase her amazingly fluid phrasing and his ability to let a piano tell the story. Finally, what can you say about “Soldiers/Isn’t It Nice to Be Home Again?” except that this Vietnam-era song commemorates a sad chapter in our country’s history, and Mammina’s delivery is both respectful and beautiful.
Additional Information
You can find Mammina’s albums Midnight Ladies as well as her albums, Close Your Eyes and Under the Influence as well as Mammina’s contributions to several multi-artist collections at Blue Coast Records where you can listen to tracks, get more background information and make purchases. You can also connect with Mammina on Facebook and get invited to join her LIVE online as she’s performing.
Wrapping up our interview, Mammina said about her career, “I want people to think, ‘her heart really sings.’ I want to make someone laugh and get them to cry when they hear my music.” I promise, listening to Mammina’s voice will make you do both!