Samara Joy: A Joyful Holiday

It's been a whirlwind 15 months for Samara Joy. After announcing she signed with Verve, her debut for the label, Linger Awhile (2022) was released to great acclaim. She was then nominated (and won) two Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal. The success of that record was followed up with Linger Awhile Deluxe Edition (Verve, 2023) containing another album's worth of material. Joy has also put out a single, "Tight," where she pays tribute to Betty Carter and to close out the year, Joy has just released this Christmas EP, A Joyful Holiday.

It begins with two slightly lesser-known seasonal songs, "Warm In December," first recorded by Julie London in 1956 and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Me" recorded by The Supremes in 1965 and Stevie Wonder a few years later. The former is a sultry performance beginning with just the piano and Joy before her rhythm section enters in a hopeful, joyful manner. The latter is a piano/vocal duo throughout with Sullivan Fortner sparkling with sensitive support. It is a slow, soulful reading of this Motown holiday tune where Joy gets to show us her smooth, graceful vocal ability to glide effortlessly through her extensive range while squeezing out every last note in service of the lyric.

This is followed by two Christmas classics, "The Christmas Song" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." Both are performed with Joy's buttery, rich tone in a soft, sweet, thoughtful manner that allows her to caress the words with the sentiment of the season. The addition of her guitarist, Pasquale Grasso, on the latter track adds another dimension to the sound. Grasso's playing on Linger Awhile was noteworthy in adding a counterpoint to Joy's singing. Here, on his one guest spot, he does the same thing. The understanding they share in figuring out how to fill the space with each other is simpatico. Joy gets a moment at the end of the song where she shows off her range, gliding a few octaves, finally hitting a sustained note and lingering awhile (pun intended) on it as the tune ends.

It is the final two tracks where we see another side of Joy, one previously unheard. "O Holy Night" is done in a gospel choir manner. It features The McLendon Family on the choral vocals, comprised of her grandfather, Goldwire McLendon (who formed one of Philadelphia's most prominent gospel outfits, The Savettes), and her father, Antonio McLendon (who played bass and toured with gospel star Andrae Crouch). Her uncle and two cousins complete the five-person choir. A Hammond B-3 organ serves as the only accompaniment, furthering the gospel feel, providing the intro until Joy enters. Her grandfather soon joins in a duet before the entire clan comes together in a heavenly choir-like harmony. It is a stunning performance.

To close out the EP, another version of "The Christmas Song" is included, recorded live in December 2022 in Arlington, Massachusetts (see YouTube video below). It is a vocal duet with Joy's father and is performed with her touring trio of the time. Her father, Antonio, sings the first verse, showing off a remarkable voice in his own right. Joy then gets a verse, before she and her dad sing duo, moving back and forth with each other as the lyrics continue their joyous cheer. This celebratory duet between father and daughter is the highlight of the EP.

A Joyful Holiday is a welcome addition to the canon of Christmas jazz vocals, especially considering her gospel roots. The first four tracks remind one of all the things Joy has already shown she does magnificently. The final two tracks show something different and hint at some of the possible future directions open to her, in a musical world full of them.