Jenna Mammina | |
---|---|
Born | St. Joseph, MI, U.S. | 20 September 1964
Genres | Jazz, pop, Americana |
Occupation(s) | Shoo Bop Enthusiast |
Labels | Mamma Grace |
Website |
jennamammina |
Jenna Mammina is a jazz and pop singer (vocal stylist) from Michigan.
Mammina was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, and began singing in church from the age of five and performing in school musicals. [1] In her teens, Mammina learned to play piano and guitar, performing with local bands. [1] She attended Central Michigan University, Michigan State University, and Laney College in Oakland, before settling in San Francisco. [1]
After session work with The Spinners and Narada Michael Walden, [2] Mammina has gone on to record five albums, all released on her own label, Mamma Grace. [1] Mammina, who performs as many as 250 times a year, has performed with Bobby McFerrin, Bobby Watson, Nancy King, Andy Narell, and Steve Coleman. [1] Derk Richardson, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, picked her debut album, Under the Influence, as number nine in his top albums of 1999. [3] Her second album, Meant to Be, was nominated for a California Music Award in the Outstanding Jazz Album category. [4]
Mammina is also a music educator, presenting workshops titled "Scat for Cats" and "So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star'" in schools and universities. [1]
Mammina combines folk music, pop, and jazz, often performing with guitarist Andre Bush. She covers a wide range of music, including songs ranging from Abbey Lincoln (her idol) to Elvis Costello, U2, and Tom Waits, as well as original compositions. [2] [1] [5] Her voice has been described as "sweet and flexible", [6] "whisper-like" with "air-brushed phrasings and silky nuance", [7] and less flatteringly, as "tiny, thinnish, high-pitched". [8]
Mammina says of her style:
"I don't want to categorize the music. It's not that I don't know who I am. I don't sing classical, and I'm not a soul singer, or an R&B singer, but I have been influenced by that stuff too. I can sing a Patsy Cline tune, a James Taylor tune, or a Led Zeppelin tune, but I do it with my own flair." [9]
Jenna Mammina | |
---|---|
Born | St. Joseph, MI, U.S. | 20 September 1964
Genres | Jazz, pop, Americana |
Occupation(s) | Shoo Bop Enthusiast |
Labels | Mamma Grace |
Website |
jennamammina |
Jenna Mammina is a jazz and pop singer (vocal stylist) from Michigan.
Mammina was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, and began singing in church from the age of five and performing in school musicals. [1] In her teens, Mammina learned to play piano and guitar, performing with local bands. [1] She attended Central Michigan University, Michigan State University, and Laney College in Oakland, before settling in San Francisco. [1]
After session work with The Spinners and Narada Michael Walden, [2] Mammina has gone on to record five albums, all released on her own label, Mamma Grace. [1] Mammina, who performs as many as 250 times a year, has performed with Bobby McFerrin, Bobby Watson, Nancy King, Andy Narell, and Steve Coleman. [1] Derk Richardson, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, picked her debut album, Under the Influence, as number nine in his top albums of 1999. [3] Her second album, Meant to Be, was nominated for a California Music Award in the Outstanding Jazz Album category. [4]
Mammina is also a music educator, presenting workshops titled "Scat for Cats" and "So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star'" in schools and universities. [1]
Mammina combines folk music, pop, and jazz, often performing with guitarist Andre Bush. She covers a wide range of music, including songs ranging from Abbey Lincoln (her idol) to Elvis Costello, U2, and Tom Waits, as well as original compositions. [2] [1] [5] Her voice has been described as "sweet and flexible", [6] "whisper-like" with "air-brushed phrasings and silky nuance", [7] and less flatteringly, as "tiny, thinnish, high-pitched". [8]
Mammina says of her style:
"I don't want to categorize the music. It's not that I don't know who I am. I don't sing classical, and I'm not a soul singer, or an R&B singer, but I have been influenced by that stuff too. I can sing a Patsy Cline tune, a James Taylor tune, or a Led Zeppelin tune, but I do it with my own flair." [9]