Samara Joy is an American jazz singer from the Bronx, New York. She performs jazz and vocal jazz, and also appears with the Samara Joy Octet.

Career

Joy releases her self-titled debut album in 2021 and is named Best New Artist by JazzTimes. Her second album, Linger Awhile, follows in 2022 and reaches number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. At the 2023 Grammy Awards, she wins Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist, and her 2023 single “Tight” wins Best Jazz Performance at the following ceremony.

Repertoire and style

Her debut album presents her own approach to jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. Linger Awhile continues that focus on classic jazz, with production by Matt Pierson and contributions from Pasquale Grasso.

Recognition and performances

Joy wins the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2019 and becomes a regular presence in New York jazz clubs. She performs at venues including Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, The Blue Note and Mezzrow, and works with Christian McBride, Pasquale Grasso, Kirk Lightsey, Cyrus Chestnut and Dr. Barry Harris.

Background

She grows up in the Bronx and is the granddaughter of the founders of the Philadelphia-based gospel group The Savettes.