The JOY of Samara
If you love jazz but haven’t heard of Samara Joy, you will. This sensational 24-year old Grammy winner has a remarkable range and a beautifully humble and authentic personality.
Early November: A post popped up on one of my WhatsApp groups.
“I can’t use my tickets to see the jazz singer Samara Joy in Paris. Whoever would like them, contact me.”
I have become a jazz aficionado in Paris, attending lots of the clubs here that once hosted Josephine Baker, Cole Porter, Jean Reinhardt, and others. I hadn’t heard of Samara but immediately responded, “I’d love to have them!”
I proceeded to look her up (isn’t Google a wonderful thing?)
Samara Joy was born into a musical family, with her father and two of her grandparents performing gospel. She grew up in the Bronx and attended Fordham High School for the Arts, where she sang with a jazz band. After graduation, she enrolled in the jazz studies program at SUNY Purchase College.
Samara turned 24 the day before I saw her perform. Her first album came out in 2021. Her second in 2022 won her two 2023 Grammy Awards. At the concert at Le Trianon in Paris, she told us that she received a call two days prior telling her she was up for two…
