Mandy Barnett: Every Star Above

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:9 mins read

Vocalist Mandy Barnett has just released her latest album, Every Star Above. Called the “Nashville Sound Chanteuse” (Music Row) and “the Judy Garland of our time” (American Songwriter), she has built a reputation for her commanding voice and unwavering devotion to classic country, R&B, and popular standards. Well known for originating the title role in one of the first “jukebox” musicals, Always… Patsy Cline at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, Barnett has enchanted listeners around the globe with her world-class vocals and musical chameleon qualities. A Tennessee Music Pathways historical marker in Barnett’s Tennessee hometown honors her contributions in making Tennessee the “Soundtrack of America.” Barnett’s music has been featured on motion picture and television soundtracks and compilation albums including the forthcoming Gershwin collection from Great American Songbook Ambassador, Michael Feinstein. A frequent Grand Ole Opry guest, Barnett has performed at some of the most esteemed music venues in the U.S. and internationally.

You began singing at five years old. Do you come from a musical family?

Yes, I definitely grew up around music, mostly on my mother’s side. My Mom, grandmother, grandfather, aunts, and uncles…many of them played instruments and sang, especially in church. And I’d join in. I was the little girl with the big voice!

Who are your major influences and why?

I have many different influences from diverse musical genres. As a child, I spent a lot of time with adults, like my relatives, who had eclectic tastes in music.They listened to classic country, traditional pop, gospel, and R&B; and I absorbed it all. I’d have to say, though, that my biggest influences in general are female stylists like Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington, and Sarah Vaughan. Their individual phrasings and emotion-filled vocals certainly helped shape my own approach to songs. And of course, Linda Ronstadt has always been someone I’ve hugely admired—both vocally and also because of her versatility in recording different types of music. Like her, I enjoy musical variety and exploration.

You’re known for singing in many different genres—country, pop, R&B, soul, rock. Do you approach each genre differently and, if so, how?

I don’t think that I deliberately choose a different approach for each genre. It’s not really calculated or tactical. I simply let the songs speak to me. I try to authentically capture the spirits of the melodies and lyrics and make the listener feel what I’m feeling while singing them. If a song moves me, I hope and believe that it will move others, no matter the genre.

What is most important to you, the lyric or the music?

They both seamlessly go together to me. The combination of a beautiful, memorable, joyful, or haunting melody paired with meaningful, fun, clever, or deep lyrics is what energizes and challenges me about interpreting a song.

You’ve performed at the Grand Ole Opry, with large symphony orchestras, and acoustically in cabaret. Is there one of these that you prefer?

Every type of venue has its own virtues, and I enjoy connecting with audiences at them all. I love the intimacy of small, acoustic shows, and I also welcome the excitement and challenge of performing with large orchestras in front of large audiences. It can be intimidating having an orchestra behind me, but the big, beautiful sound stirs me. And, of course, singing on the Grand Ole Opry is always a great thrill and honor. I moved to Nashville as a teenager when so many of the iconic country artists and songwriters were still alive. Every time I take to the Grand Ole Opry stage, I feel their spirits with me.

Let’s turn to your new recording, Every Star Above, a collection of songs from Billie Holiday’s 1958 recording Lady in Satin, considered one of the most influential albums in history. Tell us how this project came about.

In 2019, producer Fred Mollin approached me about doing a “concept” album for his new BMG-distributed label, Melody Place, that would celebrate, but not imitate, Holiday’s album. This was such an interesting proposal to me, because when I was in my early 20s, my good friend and mentor Harold Bradley [legendary guitarist and Country Music Hall of Fame member] gave me Lady in Satin, and it inspired me to become a torch singer. Harold told me that when I’m older and have lived more experiences, I should record something like Lady in Satin with an orchestra—songs that would resonate emotionally with poignance from my more mature perspective. And so with Fred, years later, here was that opportunity! 

The arrangements are by the legendary jazz maestro and arranger Sammy Nestico, who recently passed at the age of 96. He has worked with Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Michael Bublé, and Barbra Streisand. How did this collaboration begin?

From the beginning, Fred knew that he wanted to bring Sammy Nestico onboard to do the orchestral arrangements.  Sammy was the perfect arranger to take this project on. Billie Holiday curated the track list of Lady in Satin herself and what she did vocally with the gravitas of her experiences influencing and shaping her performances stands alone both triumphantly and heartbreakingly. Sammy had his own relationship with these songs through the different artists he worked with during his long career, and so he definitely had his own take on them and knew what he wanted to bring out in them. Sammy was especially mindful of the qualities of my own voice as he wrote the arrangements, and I’m so grateful for having worked with him. He was a special man. He wasn’t able to come to the studio, but via Skype from his home in California, he watched some of the recording sessions, and he was truly delighted and elated. A bit later, when I finally met with him in person at his house, he told me that I made him so happy. He said “you done good, kiddo!,” and he wanted to work together again. What an enormous compliment from such a talented legend! As it turned out, Every Star Above was his final project.

Let’s talk about the 10 tracks on the CD, all classics from the Great American Songbook, recorded not only by Holiday, but by icons such as Sinatra, Margaret Whiting, and Dinah Washington. How did you choose the songs and why?

The Lady in Satin tracks were the blueprint for my album, but Fred, Sammy, and I were very much aware of other recordings of the same songs from the greats that you’ve mentioned. Ultimately, we picked the 10 songs that we felt we could best put our own stamp on, the ones that worked best for Sammy, me, and the project as a whole.

What is it you hope the listener will take away from Every Star Above?

Beyond, naturally, looking at Every Star Above as a celebration of Holiday’s Lady in Satin, ideally listeners will be captivated by the incredible songs with gorgeous melodies and charming, touching lyrics and Sammy’s stellar arrangements brought to life by brilliant musicians. We came from an authentic place in making this album—wanting to create something somewhat nostalgic, but also fresh, and ultimately, beautiful. We hope the listener is as moved hearing it as we were making it.

Every Star Above is available now on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, and wherever music is sold / streamed.

For more information visit:
www.melodyplacemusic.com 
www.mandybarnett.com