Samara Joy

A native of the Bronx, Samara Joy became entranced by classic R&B as a child and cut her teeth as a singer in her church’s gospel choir. She didn’t delve into the jazz tradition until college at SUNY Purchase where she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which introduced her to the larger jazz scene as a rising star to watch. Joy released her self-titled debut on the Whirlwind label in 2021, followed a year later by Linger Awhile, her breakout Verve debut. Her 2024 album, Portrait, is the proper follow-up to Linger Awhile, and it represents the next phase in her continuing artistic evolution — unbound by expectations. It spotlights her burgeoning gifts as a lyricist, in ingenious arrangements that meld her thoughtful words with music by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra and her late mentor Barry Harris. Co-produced with the veteran trumpeter/bandleader and multi-Grammy winner Brian Lynch, the album was tracked in streamlined sessions — just two or three takes of each tune — at one of jazz’s most hallowed sites, Van Gelder Studio. Earning her an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album and the Grammy for Best Vocal Jazz Album, Portrait honors jazz heritage while staking out bold, singular territory. Joy released her first live recording, Live At The Blue Note L.A., in October 2026. Recorded during her sold-out 2026 run, the five-track EP captures the brilliant interplay of Joy and her touring septet--and their arrangements--in an intimate setting.