Under the Influence

Review "'Under the Influence' presents a recording of broad scope but with a clear focus. Songs interpreted and delivered with originality and great feeling. Congratulations, Jenna..." -- Steve Khan "(Jenna) is equally at home with contemporary pop material..and jazz standards. Evincing a fundamental purity of tone, creating unusual vocal timbres, and communicating a sincere belief in what she sings, Mammina sustains that delicate balance of pop music and fine art." -- Derk Richardson "(she) radiates a feeling of ecstasy on stage...loving every minute in the spotlight and treating every song in a most remarkable and personal manner." -- Phil Elwood, SF Examinier "From beginning to end, this production creates a mood that is unbroken, sonically seductive and yet surprising. ...Without one note too many or too few, these inspired performances and definitive interpretations make a listening experience you want to have again and again." -- Paul McCandless "I remember thinking that her voice was so amazing and so beautiful. I figured it was a recording. (she's) so unflawed, so crisp and pleasant. Absolutely beautiful!" -- Michael J. Falzone "Listening to Jenna's CD, 'Under the Influence', I heard a unique singer with her own sound, phrasing and inflection; qualities that are pretty rare these days. She's assembled a great bunch of players and chosen some extremely hip, unusual tunes too. I especially liked what she and her band did with 'Contradictions'. I'm already anticipating her next effort." -- Randy Brecker "This is music that soothes the soul! Jenna's 'Under the Influence' embraces you with vocal stylings that gratify your spirit!" -- Will Kennedy "sensual and self-assured! -- The New York Post Product Description Jazz Influenced pop. This is an album of candlelight and romance. Jenna makes these songs her own with a voice that embraces your whole being. This stellar ensemble of musicians weave an atmosphere that is reminiscent of the gentle side of John Contrane. Has a child-like quality like Ricki Lee Jones and the integrity of Casandra Wilson. About the Artist As you listen to Jenna Mammina telling the story of her life, you come to feel that she was destined for a life in music almost from birth: "When I was a little baby," she says, "my mother would sing me Nat King Cole songs. Those were my lullabies. And she tells me that I would wake up almost every night at midnight and just sort of coo my first vocal performances!" Several years, thousands of miles, and many vocal performances later, that musically inclined baby has grown into a singer of great power, imagination and artistry -- now, with the release of her first album, Under The Influence, Jenna Mammina seems sure to achieve the widespread recognition that such remarkable talent deserves. Featuring songs by an amazingly eclectic group of writers (including Elvis Costello, Leonard Bernstein, Doc Pomus & Mac Rebenack [aka Dr. John], James Taylor, Abbey Lincoln, Sammy Cahn & Sammy Fain, plus original compositions by Mammina), Under The Influence is, as the title suggests, a kind of guided tour through some of the musical influences and inspirations that shaped Jenna's adventurous artistic sensibility. That sensibility, Jenna believes, is a reflection of the diverse ethnic, cultural and creative atmosphere in which she grew up, in St. Joseph, Michigan: "I've always been surrounded by music, art, and people from all kinds of backgrounds. My mother is Native American and Spanish, and my father is Italian -- his family came from Sicily. We'd have tortillas for breakfast and pasta for dinner," she remembers with a laugh. "There was always music around. My brothers and sisters are all singers. My mother liked to listen to a big-band station while she cleaned the house, and that's how I fell in love with Ella Fitzgerald. One of my dad's best friends is the great jazz piano player Gene Harris. And growing up in Michigan, our heroes were the musicians who came from the state -- all the Motown artists, of course -- and Aretha Franklin, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincolnand later on, Madonna. We were active in our local church, and sang there -- both the heavy-duty Catholic liturgical music! ... and some more contemporary folk ish kinds of things, too and through my mom's Native American heritage -- we would spend time with her family in New Mexico -- I discovered a whole other spiritual aspect, a tradition of healing through music." Besides those midnight cooing sessions as a baby, Jenna showed other signs that she was bound for a life in show biz when she got a little older. "You know how some kids play 'house' or 'doctor?," she asks: "Well when we were kids, we used to play 'bar' -- our basement had a full bar in it, and we'd dress up in Mom's platform shoes, pretending we were in a nightclub. I also used to sit up in my room and pretend I was on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson." Looking back at her seemingly inevitable career path, she laughs, "
ASIN: B00000JYL0
VSKU: DBV.B00000JYL0.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Mammina, Jenna
Binding: Audio cd
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: Individually inspected: Guaranteed to play perfectly or your money back. Case may show wear and may be in library packaging. Ships Fast!