Georgia Mancio – Now & Then, Then & Now
Photo credit: Tatiana Gorilovsky
Since the release of their first collaborative album Songbook in 2017 I have made no secret of my admiration for the songs of Alan Broadbent and Georgia Mancio. As a songwriting partnership they are without peers and over the course of 12 years have written more than forty songs that continue the standard set by the Great American Songbook.
With their third album, A Story Left Untold, due to be released on 5th May and a UK tour to commence on 24th April, Georgia can also reflect and celebrate 25 years as a professional musician in a career that has seen her release a series of acclaimed albums under her own name, curate the festivals in ReVoice! (2010 – 2014) and Hang (2017 – 2019). A collaboration with pianist Kate Williams led to the wonderful Finding Home album which won best album in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in 2020, and the following year Georgia scooped the award for best vocalist.
As the partnership with Alan Broadbent continued to develop and flourish, a further collection of songs was recorded and released on the duo album Quiet Is The Star to be followed by a book of 33 of their music with photos, song by song descriptions and bespoke artwork by Simon Manfield.
With just a week to go before the start of the tour and the album release date of 5th May looming, I was fortunate to be able to talk to Georgia about A Story Left Untold and her career milestone of 25 years in the music business.
In a big year for you with a double celebration, firstly congratulations on the imminent release of A Story Left Untold, your latest album with Alan Broadbent. Recorded eighteen months ago, and just after your appearance at the 2023 London Jazz Festival, you must be immensely proud of the album?
Thank you so much, and yes, I really am. It’s been an intense and sustained period of work from everyone, not least our co-producer, Andrew Cleyndert, who aced the challenge of pulling together the four different set ups (duo, trio, quartet and orchestral) into one cohesive and beautiful mix, with enviable patience and attention to detail.
Recording means facing and accepting your vulnerabilities, something softened by being around people you trust: Alan, Andy and Dave of course, and also the very supportive atmosphere at School Farm Studios, which helped us create some very special work.
It has been phenomenal listening to the three albums that you have recorded together, and the wonderful songs that you have written the lyrics for. How has this experience been for you since you first performed with Alan, and your continuing journey as a lyricist?
It’s almost 12 years now since Alan and I did our very first gigs. We hadn’t yet realised its potential, so we were just finding our common musical ground. We have since travelled and performed together in the US, Europe and the UK, and co-written 41 songs. There is a trust and confidence in our work together now, and a shorthand that comes from earned experience and friendship.
I have become more self critical of my lyric writing because there is now a standard set. There are a few songs on this album that really pushed me, particularly ‘A Story Left Untold’, ‘Heart Of Hearts’ and writing in Italian on ‘The Love I Left Behind’, but that is absolutely the way it should be in order to stave off complacency and repetition. It’s been harder to dedicate time to writing because of family matters these last few years, but I am determined to keep developing and improving.
Listening to the albums in succession there is a remarkable sense of cohesion, and while each is an exemplary stand alone recording it is as a trilogy that they stand as major artistic statements. Did you ever envisage that the partnership would flourish in the way that it has, and with so many co-written songs?
No, absolutely not, and I credit Alan with the foresight to suggest our first album be solely of originals, because that set the course of direction. What I love most about our partnership is that it is never forced: there is no sense of urgency, it is totally organic. Each album presented itself conceptually and at the right time, so I’m thrilled you hear a cohesion, because for us there are many reference points between them, and a sense of both renewal and continuity.
A Story Left Untold is quite breathtaking in the scope of the material covered. With songs that are so tender that they almost make the heart ache and others that hit home with a jolt. What was the concept when choosing the songs for the album, and the sequence in which they appear?
Because of the 4 year hiatus (during and post pandemic) playing together, our main aim was to capture the songs we had written either in that period or previously. From the 16 we recorded, I would say we ended up with a different album to the one I had originally imagined, even dropping the intended title track.
The structure revealed itself with the current title track, written and arranged for voice and 42 piece orchestra. Once I realised that it required a socio-political narrative, it fit perfectly around the album’s similarly themed second half. The first half / side holds a more personal aspect, but they are united by the complexities of being human. And of course, these sides are interchangeable because politics should be about humanity – not a lack of it, as we are sadly seeing more and more these days.
You have touched on the increasingly unsettled political climate on the earlier albums, but with A Story Left Untold there are stronger and less veiled political statements. I’m referring of course to ‘Same Old Moon’ that barely contains the frustration felt by many and the complex message of the utterly spellbinding title track. Can you tell us your thoughts when writing these and why did you feel that now was an appropriate time to deal with such topics in more depth?
Yes, there has been a thread on my earlier recordings, particularly ‘Finding Home’ with Kate Williams (2019) and ‘Silhouette’ (2010), and certainly in my live work. ‘Same Old Moon’ was written back in 2017, after the destructive twin spheres of Brexit and the first Trump administration. Both split families and communities, encouraged dangerous, uninformed rhetoric, and a careless, sometimes cruel climate.
‘Same Old Moon’ pits the certain against the uncertain; the truth with the lies. Lies that have emboldened and given global rise to the Far Right. In ‘A Story Left Untold’ (the song), I heard a depth that mirrored our times; that seemed to hold the stories and secrets not just of a single protagonist, but of a Nation. I pictured a charred, scarred landscape, keeping score of its shameful history, and though my narrative will certainly invite multiple interpretations, for me it is a timely cautionary tale against authoritarianism.
Which brings us to (why) now. I have never felt more afraid for the rights of women, ethnic minorities, refugees, Gay and transgender people: for all our civil liberties, for democracy itself. We are lucky as artists to have an outlet and a platform. We should never be afraid to communicate truth, because you can be sure the liars will always be ready to communicate the lies.
The orchestral track is a wonderful way to conclude the album but also leaves unanswered questions. Do you feel that A Story Left Untold is the conclusion of one chapter or the beginning of a new? By that I mean, are you and Alan writing more songs together, and is the orchestral piece indicating at what may follow?
Which brings us to (why) now. I have never felt more afraid for the rights of women, ethnic minorities, refugees, Gay and transgender people: for all our civil liberties, for democracy itself. We are lucky as artists to have an outlet and a platform. We should never be afraid to communicate truth, because you can be sure the liars will always be ready to communicate the lies.
The orchestral track is a wonderful way to conclude the album but also leaves unanswered questions. Do you feel that A Story Left Untold is the conclusion of one chapter or the beginning of a new? By that I mean, are you and Alan writing more songs together, and is the orchestral piece indicating at what may follow?
There are songs in our book that we have rarely performed, and we will be debuting a live (and obviously pared down) version of the title track on our first tour date in Leeds! Alan and I will also be doing two duo performances – our first since 2014 – so am relishing the chance to really immerse ourselves in the nuance of these songs across these different settings.
Photo credit: Lara Leigh (2025) & Chris Baker (2000)
As well as the release of A Story Left Untold, 2025 is a big year for your personally as you celebrate twenty five years as a professional musician. How did you start out as a musician, and what prompted you to pursue music as a career?
Like the biggest and best things in my life: serendipity and the gentle guidance of a few key musicians that unlocked the possibility of music as a career for me. Starting relatively late and having spent considerable time on the ‘other side’ – in the audience– has kept me very grateful. I truly feel these 25 years have been the appetiser, and I am excited and ready for all the growth and experiences ahead.
As well as the release of A Story Left Untold, 2025 is a big year for your personally as you celebrate twenty five years as a professional musician. How did you start out as a musician, and what prompted you to pursue music as a career?
Like the biggest and best things in my life: serendipity and the gentle guidance of a few key musicians that unlocked the possibility of music as a career for me. Starting relatively late and having spent considerable time on the ‘other side’ – in the audience– has kept me very grateful. I truly feel these 25 years have been the appetiser, and I am excited and ready for all the growth and experiences ahead.
During this time there have been many changes in the music scene with the advent of streaming as a popular means of accessing and listening to music, and also the opportunities to perform with many venues closing their doors seem to have disappeared. What would you say have been the biggest obstacles and changes you have encountered in following your chosen path?
I think the constant need to prove yourself, to reinvent, to invest (albums and touring are not cheap!), especially now that music is so freely available. With social media, it feels we are now also expected to be marketing experts.
I think vocalists still have to fight their corner to be taken as seriously as instrumentalists, and ageism is certainly an issue across the scene. Although this is by no means an easy career at any stage, an unbalanced focus on young artists encourages unrealistic expectations in an artform that requires time and also stunts sustainability. The middle part of our careers is likely to be the longest, so we should be nurturing it.
The Covid pandemic also hit musicians and the music industry hard, especially for live venues. Do you feel that the industry again had to face and embrace new challenges and change, and how do you think as a performing musician you have been able to move on from such a devasting time?
Covid certainly had a big impact, especially with our cherished older audiences, but I think our strength is our ability to operate – and sometimes flourish – on a shoe string. I am definitely seeing a resurgence of engagement now, and what I have loved about running both Eltham and Crystal Palace Jazz Clubs is that deeper connection with returning audience members.
I think this artform will always survive but to maintain a career, you can only forge your own path with authenticity and try not to be affected by the whims of taste or fashion. It is immensely inspiring to remember that far, far greater artists faced far, far greater challenges than me, yet kept producing.
It is to be hoped that your songwriting partnership with Alan will continue to produce such exquisite songs for many years to come, but what other plans might you have for the next twenty five years?
I re-read an interview upon the release of our previous album ‘Quiet is The Star’ in 2021, where I stated quite plainly that I had no big follow up plans. Somehow, 18 months later I embarked on what has turned into this epic project, so I should be careful with my words here!
I’d like to surprise myself with new musical skills, keep developing my stage craft, collaborate on some kind of theatre project, travel and work abroad more extensively, and perhaps one day finish my current To Do list!
