Samara Joy first caught the public’s attention in 2019, when she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Since then, the international Press has been raving about the American diva with the rich voice and velvety timbre, who made her recording debut in 2021 at the age of twenty-two, recognising in her refined style a worthy successor to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Born to musician parents, raised in Bronx, New York, and nurtured by the great tradition of gospel music, Samara was awarded two Grammys in 2023 –in the Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album categories– for her album Linger Awhile (Verve Records), whose fresh, creative approach takes classical jazz to new heights. Her collaborations already include legendary names of the jazz scene, such as bassist Christian McBride and pianist Bill Charlap. Her recent collaboration with veteran guitarist Pasquale Grasso, pianist Ben Patterson, bassist David Wong and drummer Kenny Washington, on such standards as “Can’t Get Out of This Mood”, “Someone to Watch over Me” and “Misty”, is inspired by an irresistible neo-romantic mood that enchants the genre’s seasoned connoisseurs and new converts alike.
