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Samara Joy

by Samara Joy

supported by
Jon Goode
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Jon Goode My favorite song on this album changes week to week. They're all incredibly well done. Samara is taking us back and bringing us forward all at once. Favorite track: But Beautiful.
rick0361
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rick0361 I just love the whole album it just feels so relaxing .

Great vocals, superb backing - what more could you ask for
leitrimmike
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leitrimmike A chance clip on Instagram led me to Bandcamp and this remarkable voice. I've been listening to the likes of Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald since I was a child in the sixties, but Samara Joy's voice stopped me in my tracks. It's obvious quality is underlined by a haunting tone that immediately got inside my head. A stunning debut.
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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    High quality, 180 gram, 12" LP in Gatefold Artwork to celebrate Samara's recent Grammy win for 'Best New Artist' at the 2023 Grammy Awards

    Includes unlimited streaming of Samara Joy via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $28 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    High quality, 6 panel digifile with a velvety soft-touch laminate finish & 12 page booklet with liner notes

    Includes unlimited streaming of Samara Joy via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $14 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Comes with album artwork booklet PDF + album cover photo as a jpg
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD  or more

     

  • 12" 180g Hand Numbered BI-Colored Splatter Vinyl in Gatefold Artwork - 'Best New Artist 2023 Grammy Awards' Limited Edition Pressing
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND:

    High quality, HAND-NUMBERED (LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES ONLY) 180 gram, 12" LP in BI-COLOURED SPLATTER + Gatefold Artwork to celebrate Samara's recent Grammy win for 'Best New Artist' at the 2023 Grammy Awards

    These LPs are hand made, and the amount of multi color in each LP may differ considerably from the preview image provided. No refunds/replacements will be given for LPs that don't appear exactly as the preview image. *Preview image is a guide only*

    Includes unlimited streaming of Samara Joy via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

  • 12" 180g Hand Numbered Multi-Colored Vinyl in Gatefold Artwork - 'Best New Artist 2023 Grammy Awards' Limited Edition Pressing
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Hand Numbered (700) High quality, 180 gram, 12" LP in Gatefold Artwork to celebrate Samara's recent Grammy win for 'Best New Artist'

    These LPs are hand made, and the amount of multi color in each LP may differ considerably from the preview image provided. No refunds/replacements will be given for LPs that don't appear exactly as the preview image. *Preview image is a guide only*

    Includes unlimited streaming of Samara Joy via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

  • 12" LP 180g in Gatefold Artwork - Limited Edition - 2nd Pressing
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    High quality, 180 gram, 12" LP in Gatefold Artwork

    Includes unlimited streaming of Samara Joy via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

  • 12" LP 180g (Violet with Black Marble) in Gatefold Artwork - First Edition Limited Edition (500 copies)
    Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    High quality, 180 gram, 12" LP in Gatefold Artwork - comes with download code containing the digital album in multiple formats

    Includes unlimited streaming of Samara Joy via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

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about

PERSONNEL

Samara Joy - vocals
Pasquale Grasso - guitar
Ari Roland - double bass
Kenny Washington - drums

ALBUM CREDITS

Recorded at Oktaven Audio, Mt. Vernon, NY
(October 20-21, 2020)
Recording Engineer - Ryan Streber
Assistant Engineer - Charles Mueller
Mixed and Mastered by Christopher Allen
Produced by Matt Pierson
Photography - Shervin Lainez
Graphic Design - Monika Jakubowska
Liner Notes - Will Friedwald

credits

released July 9, 2021

ABOUT THE ALBUM

Samara Joy is a singing star in ascendancy. The young vocalist attracted attention in 2019 after winning the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Now, the 21-year-old announces her self-titled debut release, which puts her spin on jazz standards from the Great American Songbook. Produced by Grammy-nominated veteran Matt Pierson, she’s joined by jazz guitar virtuoso Pasquale Grasso and his trio (Ari Roland and Kenny Washington) for a release that furthers Joy’s reputation as one of America’s most promising young jazz vocalists.

Joy grew up in the Bronx around a supportive musical family. Music was a pervasive presence, due to the inspiration of her paternal grandparents, Elder Goldwire and Ruth McLendon, who led the Philadelphia-based gospel group, The Savettes. “My mother and father gave me the opportunity to hear music on an interesting spectrum, from Luther Vandross and Chaka Khan through to George Duke and Stevie Wonder. Actually, I hadn't heard of Sarah Vaughan until college. My friends were all into jazz and started sharing their favourite recordings with me. The turning point was when I heard Sarah's version of “Lover Man” – I was hooked.”

It’s with singers like Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald that early comparisons have been made, and close study of such vocalists formed the basis of the album. “The inspiration comes from absorbing as much of their style as possible. It's a glimpse of what I've learned so far, and a way for me to pay homage to those who have come before, while lending my own perspective to these songs.”

Samara Joy presents the vocalist backed by the trio of Pasquale Grasso, a budding star from the world of solo guitar. “It's great working with him because I know he brings his best, which pushes me to bring my A-game – nothing less.” Completing the line-up are prolific bassist Ari Roland and legendary drummer Kenny Washington, offering a subtly swinging backdrop to proceedings.

Joy’s interpretations balance the breezy-fresh feel of a relative newcomer with a reverence for a tradition she is now undoubtably part of. “But Beautiful”, “Let's Dream in the Moonlight” and “Jim” pay homage to Billie Holiday's original versions, and she acknowledges the great Nat King Cole with versions of “It Only Happens Once” and “The Trouble with Me is You”. “Stardust” is another nod to Cole, showcasing a talent for storytelling well beyond her years. As she says, “There's nothing like hearing someone who understands sing it to you.” Moods range from the happy-go-lucky simplicity of “Everything Happens to Me” to the longing of “Lover Man”.

Winning the Vaughan award was transformational for Joy. “I was suddenly on the jazz radar. It’s still bizarre to think of how fast things have progressed.” Since then, Joy has dug deep to discover her jazz roots, without losing sight of the innate simplicity that makes her sound shine. Her first album announces the arrival of a young artist destined for greatness.

PRESS HIGHLIGHTS

"A triumphant body of music with a depth and maturity rarely seen in a debut album... Her voice is a gift in a package that feels familiar, yet, fresh and beautifully timeless."
Ebony Magazine

"A self-possessed, deeply emotive vocalist."
DownBeat Magazine

"Consistently beguiling, this is an album that stays with you long after the last notes fade away."
★★★★ Jazzwise Magazine

"[Samara Joy] has carved out her own space as a swinging traditionalist."
Grammy Awards

"There's poetry in her phrasing, and she sounds natural and unforced. You'll hear a resemblance to Sarah Vaughan; you'll also hear the voice of someone who will continue to claim our attention."
Absolute Sound

"Every once in a while, you encounter a voice that just hypnotizes you and stops you in your tracks... It’s just astounding."
Jazziz Magazine

“A reincarnation of Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald in the same body.”
London Jazz News

“A remarkable new jazz talent has arrived on the scene... The stage is set for this outstanding vocalist to make a major impact on the scene.”
★★★★ Jazzwise Magazine

"Voice of a New Generation... A star-in-the-making."
Bay State Banner

"Joy has stamped an identity of rare maturity on much-travelled chronicles of life and love."
London Jazz News

"Her rich tone and confident delivery show an astonishing maturity... There’s not a weak performance across this collection of standards... Outstanding."
Jazz Views

"She really does revitalise these gassers... It's an absolute killer."
Bebop Spoken Here

"Joy has an immaculately smooth, perfectly pitched delivery that leans heavily toward tradition but at the same time emits a youthful quality and unique phrasing behind new arrangements of these classic tunes."
Making A Scene

"Samara Joy has a voice that seems to have a gravitational pull keeping the planets in orbit."
WGBO

"Truly impressive."
Jazzma

"A self-possessed, deeply emotive vocalist, with power that usually takes a lot of living to master."
DownBeat Magazine

"Floating from precociously warm, sexy low notes to a silky top, Samara Joy’s voice evokes classic influences and has earned her collaborations with leading contemporary musicians."
The New York Times

“Intriguing, fascinating, and beautiful.”
SimplyJazzTalk

"The tunes reveal themselves like a solo recital of original music."
WBGO

"She shows absolute command over vocal jazz’s foundational material... like Veronica Swift, [Joy] shows herself not just a vocalist but a well-rounded performer who really knows how to inhabit a role and tell a story through song."
WRTI Arts Desk

"A lovely voice, perfect time, beautiful diction, effortless grace as an interpreter. Above all,she wins your heart."
Hi-Fi News & Record Review

"A collection of standards that underlines why these songs still matter."
The Big Issue

"She’s a natural."
The Arts Fuse

"Her approach is simple but beautifully poised, and when she does take off on an improvised passage or coda, the trickiest notes present no problem."
★★★★ The Guardian

"There's poetry in her phrasing, and she sounds natural and unforced. You'll hear a resemblance to Sarah Vaughan; you'll also hear the voice of someone who will continue to claim our attention."
The Absolute Sound

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Samara Joy New York, New York

The official Whirlwind Artist Page for vocalist and two-time Grammy Winning artist Samara Joy.

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