Jazz Articles about Samara Joy

About Samara Joy

Radio & Podcasts

Samara Joy On Her 'Fast Authentic' Success

by Leo Sidran
March 29, 2023

Accepting her Grammy award for Best New Artist last month, Samara Joy looked out at a sea of faces that she had grown up admiring and said, “I've been watching y'all on TV for so long... I'm born and raised in the Bronx." It was almost as though she was reminding herself of just how far she had come, and just how quickly. That was a big moment for the 23-year-old singer who was just a year and ...

Album Review

Samara Joy: Linger Awhile

Read "Linger Awhile" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
September 19, 2022

Recensendo pochi mesi fa il disco d'esordio di Samara Joy le avevamo previsto un brillante futuro ma non pensavamo accadesse in tempi così rapidi. Reduce del successo ottenuto all'ultimo Umbria Jazz, la 22enne la vocalist afro-americana debutta ora con l'etichetta Verve e sarà impegnata in un tour fitto di date fino a dicembre (in ottobre toccherà anche Portogallo, Spagna, Francia e Germania ma non l'Italia). In Linger Awhile continua il sodalizio col notevole chitarrista ...

Radio & Podcasts

Dead Center of the Mainstream

by Patrick Burnette
April 14, 2022

For all their excursions into the avant-garde, fusion, post-bop, and other “edgy" forms of jazz, sometimes the boys just want to wallow right in the middle of the stream—the main part of it, you might say. This fortnight's feast includes two instrumental and two vocal albums all centered in the tradition and happy to be there. Mike is unmoved by the rising star this time, but who knows—her next outing may change his mind.Playlist Discussion of Elvin Jones ...

Album Review

Samara Joy: Samara Joy

Read "Samara Joy" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
February 7, 2022

Samara Joy. Segnatevi il nome perché la giovanissima cantante di New York è destinata a un brillante futuro. Questo disco d'esordio—registrato nell'ottobre 2020 a 22 anni—conferma le doti per cui ha vinto il Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition del 2019. Samara Joy è un naturale talento dal timbro luminoso, che rinnova con grazia e freschezza i classici standard del suo repertorio. Ha splendide doti vocali ma non cerca di stupire con inutili forzature e rilegge la ...

Album Review

Eric Wyatt: A Song of Hope

Read "A Song of Hope" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
October 25, 2021

On A Song of Hope, his second album for Whaling City Sound, saxophonist Eric Wyatt offers more than hope; he offers assurance that contemporary jazz is alive and well in and around his home base of Brooklyn, NY. Wyatt, the godson of another rather well-known saxophonist, Sonny Rollins, performs in groups of various sizes, from quartet to octet, with vocals by Samara Joy on two numbers, “Fragile" and Wyatt's “Say Her Name." The almost-constants are pianist Donald Vega, bassist Eric ...

Album Review

Bruce Harris: Soundview

Read "Soundview" reviewed by Pierre Giroux

by Pierre Giroux
July 1, 2021

Cory Weeds, who is the executive producer of Soundview, is also the major domo behind The Cellar Music Group. This Vancouver, B.C. entity is committed to providing black artists with the opportunity to record and showcase their talent under the guidance of well-known trumpeter Jeremy Pelt. This initial release features trumpeter Bruce Harris and provides him with the launch pad to pay tribute to his family and community in the Bronx.Accompanied by pianist Sullivan Fortner, bassist David Wong, ...

Interview

Samara Joy: Ascension Into Jazz

by R.J. DeLuke
May 7, 2021

When Samara Joy performs, she takes her place, stands confidently and sings. Immediately the strength and richness of her voice—which is natural—grabs the attention of the listener. There are no gyrations. It's refreshing that a young artist doesn't see the need for unnecessary vocal gymnastics. Too often, those can miss the mark. Her style has a certain clarity and directness of emotion. She's only 21 and graduated just this May from SUNY Purchase, a state college north of ...