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Samara Joy

O Holy Night featuring The McLendon Family

Verve
Release Date: December 2, 2022

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Meet Samara Joy
Trinity Church Wall Street | Nov 8 Live Concert
1 O Holy Night  

23-year-old vocalist nominated for BEST NEW ARTIST at the GRAMMY Awards®

Verve Records debut album Linger Awhile nominated for BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM

Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy- nominee for Best New Artist at the GRAMMY Awards® - will leave you feeling festive with her new holiday singles “O Holy Night” and “Warm in December.”

Samara Joy’s latest holiday single “O Holy Night” features vocals by multiple generations of her tight-knit family. Her grandfather Elder Goldwire McLendon, 92-year-old gospel singer who led the well-known Philadelphia-based The Savettes, joins Samara on the classic holiday favorite, alongside her father Antonio McLendon, a gifted bassist and vocalist who toured with the renowned Andrae Crouch, Samara’s uncle Laurone McLendon, and her cousins Tiera Lovell Rowe and Alana Alexander. The track, which was recorded by Christopher Allen and produced by Matt Pierson, also features Sullivan Fortner on Hammond B3.

  • Samara Joy's holiday EP: 'A Joyful Holiday' makes Wild Mercury Rhythm: Happy Holidays 2023
    Posted At: December 3, 2023 12:00 AM
    2X GRAMMY winner Samara Joy has released a holiday EP ‘A Joyful Holiday.' The 6-song collection of seasonal favorites is an extension of her latest album Linger Awhile and features a similar cast of jazz musicians - Pasquale Grasso on guitar, David Wong on bass and Kenny Washington on drums - plus Sullivan Fortner on piano. The tracklist includes previously-released singles “O Holy Night” (performed with mu...
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  • Samara Joy makes her Santa Barbara debut, during the holidays, at the Granada / Santa Barbara Independent
    Posted At: November 27, 2023 12:00 AM
    Shining Jazz Star Joy on Holiday - Acclaimed and Grammy-Kissed Jazz Chanteuse in Holiday Mode, with Family in TowSanta Barbara Independent - Josef Woodard writes….When jazz singer of the moment Samara Joy appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2022, she took to the smaller outdoor stage, in a time slot before the masses had arrived. All in her presence were wowed. When Joy returned to the festival in Sep...
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  • Harmonies of triumph and heartache: Samara Joys soul-stirring night at Jorgensen / The Daily Campus
    Posted At: October 23, 2023 12:00 AM
    The Daily Campus - Thaomy Phung writes…..Samara Joy, two-time 2023 Grammy winner for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album for her release, “Linger Awhile,” enthusiastically returned to the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts for her second visit on Oct. 20, 2023.The ambiance was incredible, a juxtaposition between a rainy afternoon in your local coffee shop and a walk through Central Park, dancing...
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  • Samara Joy is set to release seasonal project and gifts fans now with 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' / 107.5WBLS
    Posted At: October 10, 2023 12:00 AM
    SAMARA JOY RELEASES ‘HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS’ AHEAD OF HOLIDAY ALBUM107.5WBLS writes….Samara Joy wants to bring joy to your Christmas this year. The Bronx native will end the year with her first Christmas release, the EP A Joyful Holiday. Before the two-time GRAMMY Award winner drops her seasonal project later this month, she gifted her fans with a cover of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Chris...
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  • Samara Joy gives us an early gift with 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' from upcoming holiday EP / SOULBOUNCE
    Posted At: October 4, 2023 12:00 AM
    Samara Joy is a Grammy Award-winning American jazz singer. She released her self-titled debut album in 2021 and was subsequently named Best New Artist by JazzTimes. Her second album, Linger Awhile, was released in September 2022, winning the award for Best Jazz Vocal Album and herself for Best New Artist at the 2023 Grammy Awards.A native of the Castle Hill neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City, Joy was ...
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  • Samara Joy gives us something jazzy to hold on to with 'Tight' / SOULBOUNCE
    Posted At: September 11, 2023 12:00 AM
    Samara Joy, the Grammy Award-winning singer released her self-titled debut album in 2021 and was subsequently named Best New Artist by JazzTimes. Her second album, Linger Awhile, was released in September 2022, winning the award for Best Jazz Vocal Album and herself for Best New Artist at the 2023 Grammy Awards.In 2019, as Samara McLendon, she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Work...
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  • Initially penned for Betty Carter, 'Tight' is a fan-favorite in Samara Joy's live sets, and makes 'Vibe's New Releases'
    Posted At: September 10, 2023 12:00 AM
    Two-time GRAMMY-winner Samara Joy has returned with her new self-produced single “Tight.” Featuring Joy with her working band (pianist Luther Allison, bassist Mikey Migliore and drummer Evan Sherman), the track was recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in NYC. Originally written by Betty Carter and a true showcase of Joy’s incredible range, “Tight” has been a fan favorite during Joy’s onstage sets...
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  • Samara Joy returns wirh self-produced fan favorite: 'Tight' / udiscovermusic.
    Posted At: September 8, 2023 12:00 AM
    The track continues a whirlwind year for the acclaimed jazz artistudiscovermusic. - Rhian Daly writes….Two-time Grammy-winning jazz artist Samara Joy has returned with her new single “Tight” – a fan-favorite track from her live shows.The song was recorded at New York’s legendary Electric Lady Studios and was self-produced by Joy. It features her working band comprising pianist Luther Allison, bassist Mikey ...
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  • Samara Joy will headline Folly Theater Jazz Series / Kansas City
    Posted At: August 16, 2023 12:00 AM
    Kansas City's NINA CHERRY writes….Earlier this year, twenty-three-year-old jazz vocalist Samara Joy won two Grammy awards. Joy’s project Linger Awhile––which brought some classic Great American Songbook standards back into the limelight––won Best Vocal Jazz Album, and her velvet voice and brilliant, captivating storytelling earned her Best New Artist.Joy will take the stage in Kansas City on October 14, a p...
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  • Samara Joy performs at Newport Jazz Festival / Warwick Beacon
    Posted At: August 16, 2023 12:00 AM
    Warwick Beacon's Stephanie Bernaba writes…..Few musical artists possess the soul required to illuminate the entire history of a genre with their harmonies. Samara Joy, the 23-year-old jazz vocalist carrying nearly a century’s worth of history in her voice, may be the exception.At the tender age of 23, at the 2023 GRAMMY Awards, Samara Joy won Best Jazz Vocal Album for her debut LP “Linger Awhile,” and a sec...
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  • Samara Joy & Nina Simone featured on WPSUPenn State Public Media: Jazz Archive
    Posted At: August 11, 2023 12:00 AM
    With a voice as smooth as velvet, SAMARA JOY’s star has been on the rise with each performance. Following her winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she is currently recording her debut recording, which will feature Samara backed by the Pasquale Grasso Trio.Her GRAMMY Award winning Verve Records debut, Linger Awhile, had the 22-year-old, make her case to join the likes of Sarah...
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  • Samara Joy Q&A's with stereophile
    Posted At: August 9, 2023 12:00 AM
    stereophile's Ken Micallef writes….23 year-old Samara Joy is the recipient of the 2023 Grammy Awards for best new artist and best jazz vocal album. Her 2022 sophomore outing, Linger Awhile (Verve), is a jubilant celebration of The American Songbook. Her warm, velvet-dark vocal tone, graceful swing sense, and intuitive interpretations provide a master class in classic jazz fundamentals.Joy owns the past but ...
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  • Rising star artist/vocalist Samara Joy's big year / DOWNBEAT
    Posted At: July 27, 2023 12:00 AM
    “I don’t want to listen to jazz because I have to save it. I want to listen to it and play it because I like it.” - Samara JoyDOWNBEAT's Alexa Peters writes…..It would be safe to say that Samara Joy, the 23-year-old vocalist with a spellbinding voice and sophisticated command of the jazz tradition, is having an exceptional year.In February, Joy won both the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album for her sophomore...
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  • Samara Joy joins 'Coltrane Jazz Fest' roster of GRAMMY winning artists / YES! WEEKLY
    Posted At: July 5, 2023 12:00 AM
    With a voice as smooth as velvet, SAMARA JOY’s star seems to rise with each performance. Following her winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, her GRAMMY-winning album Linger Awhile was followed up with Linger Awhile (Deluxe Edition). This expanded version features never-before-heard b-sides and alternate arrangements. Both editions include brand new music plus fan-favorites lik...
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  • Samara Joy's won 2 GRAMMYs and shes performing in Malta / Lovin Malta
    Posted At: July 4, 2023 12:00 AM
    With a voice as smooth as velvet, SAMARA JOY’s star seems to rise with each performance. Following her winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she is currently recording her debut recording, which will feature Samara backed by the Pasquale Grasso Trio.Growing up in New York, music was a pervasive presence, due to the inspiration of her paternal grandparents, Elder Goldwire and R...
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  • Samara Joy's confident elegance and clear emotional investment engages Saratoga Jazz Festival crowd / Nippertown
    Posted At: June 27, 2023 12:00 AM
    With a voice as smooth as velvet, SAMARA JOY’s star seems to rise with each performance. Following her winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she is currently recording her debut recording, which will feature Samara backed by the Pasquale Grasso Trio.Growing up in New York, music was a pervasive presence, due to the inspiration of her paternal grandparents, Elder Goldwire and R...
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  • GRAMMY Award-winning Bronx native: Samara Joy joins local students for a day of singing at 92nd Street Y / news12 The Bronx
    Posted At: May 25, 2023 12:00 AM
    Samara Joy released her Verve Records debut, Linger Awhile in 2022 and won the GRAMMY. Joining the likes of Sarah, Ella, and Billie as the next mononymous jazz singing sensation recorded by the venerable label. Her voice, rich and velvety yet precociously refined, has already earned her fans like Anita Baker and Regina King, appearances on the TODAY Show and millions of likes on TikTok — cementing her statu...
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  • Samara Joy shares deluxe edition of 'Linger Awhile' / udiscovermusic.
    Posted At: May 19, 2023 12:00 AM
    The new version features imaginatively distinct alternate versions and never-before-heard b-sides.udiscovermusic. - Will Schube writes…..Samara Joy has released Linger Awhile (Deluxe Edition), an expanded version of her Grammy-winning album Linger Awhile, featuring imaginatively distinct alternate versions and never-before-heard b-sides.The album includes brand new music plus fan-favorites like “Guess Who I...
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  • Samara Joy 'Linger Awhile Deluxe Edition' makes JAZZIZ: The Week In Jazz
    Posted At: May 18, 2023 12:00 AM
    ‘Linger Awhile (Deluxe Edition)’ is an expanded version of Samara Joy's GRAMMY-winning album: ‘Linger Awhile’ featuring never-before-heard b-sides and alternate arrangements, and Linger Awhile Longer, a D2C Exclusive LP with bonus material. Both editions include brand new music plus fan-favorites like “Guess Who I Saw Today” and “Can’t Get Out Of This Mood,” which Samara performed at the GRAMMY Premiere Cer...
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  • Scenes from Samara Joy at 'Jazz St. Louis' in Grand Center / St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Posted At: May 11, 2023 12:00 AM
    With a voice as smooth as velvet, SAMARA JOY’s star seems to rise with each performance. Following her winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, she is currently recording her debut recording, which will feature Samara backed by the Pasquale Grasso Trio.Growing up in New York, music was a pervasive presence, due to the inspiration of her paternal grandparents, Elder Goldwire and R...
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  • Samara Joy to release expanded versions of 'Linger Awhile' / DOWNBEAT
    Posted At: May 2, 2023 12:00 AM
    DownBeat writes….Samara Joy has announced the upcoming release of Linger Awhile (Deluxe Edition), an expanded version of her Grammy-winning Verve album Linger Awhile featuring never-before-heard tracks and alternate arrangements, and Linger Awhile Longer, a D2C Exclusive LP with bonus material. Both editions include brand new music plus fan favorites like “Guess Who I Saw Today” and “Can’t Get Out Of This M...
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  • Samara Joy is debut artist of EBONY's new feature: 'Liner Notes' and she takes us behind her song: 'Guess Who I Saw Today'
    Posted At: May 2, 2023 12:00 AM
    Samara Joy has announced Linger Awhile (Deluxe Edition) an expanded version of her GRAMMY-winning album Linger Awhile featuring never-before-heard b-sides and alternate arrangements, and Linger Awhile Longer, a D2C Exclusive LP with bonus material. Both editions include brand new music plus fan-favorites like “Guess Who I Saw Today” and “Can’t Get Out Of This Mood,” which Samara performed at the GRAMMY Prem...
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  • Samara Joy will 'Linger Awhile Longer' with 'I Miss You So' on deluxe & vinyl editions / SOULBOUNCE
    Posted At: April 28, 2023 12:00 AM
    SOULBOUNCE - D-Money writes…..Samara Joy has been a breath of fresh air for jazz, with her youthful glow and classic sound captivating generations of music lovers. The GRAMMY-winning singer’s album Linger Awhile — which features songs like “Guess Who I Saw Today” — has a lot to do with that. Now that album is being expanded with an upcoming deluxe edition featuring eight new songs. Samara is giving us a lis...
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  • VARIETY is 'In the Groove' with Verve Records Jamie Krents
    Posted At: February 22, 2023 12:00 AM
    VARIETY's Shirley Halperin writes…..Universal Music Group is home to dozens of labels spanning every genre, from pop to hip-hop, rock to R&B, country to Latin and niche styles like Christian, classical and Jazz. To run one of these companies is to associate with top talent — household names like Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Drake and Lady Gaga — and the pressure to perform is equally massive. Which make...
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  • Samara Joy's 'Linger Awhile' is #1 on NACC: JAZZ
    Posted At: January 31, 2023 12:00 AM
    NACC writes….This 'last week of January' chart is almost always one with lots of big changes as the full panel of reporters is basically back. And this year's chart is no exception.  There are seven new entries storming the Top 20 of the NACC 200 with numerous records falling even when they are still gaining in points as the chart is infused with new music.  The current NACC 200 Top 20, the Top 5 ...
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  • Samara Joy is 90.5WICN 'Artist Of The Month' for January 2023
    Posted At: January 1, 2023 12:00 AM
    The voice as an instrument, particularly in jazz, is a fascinating vehicle for musical expression.90.5WICN's Doug Hall writes….In the category of female vocalists there are the established legends – think Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Billie Holiday. They each have a different style and treatment of their personal interpretations of a jazz standard, original composition, or covering an established bal...
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  • Samara Joy - Linger Awhile makes '88.3WBGO staff Top Ten favorite jazz albums of 2022'
    Posted At: December 28, 2022 12:00 AM
    Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy signed with Verve Records in 2022 and released: Linger Awhile, her full-length debut for the label, on September 16. At just 22 years old, Samara has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice “as rich as custard” (The New York Times) and a delivery that is  “disarming [and] unhurried” (NPR Fresh Air), just as she has built a devoted following on TikTok and m...
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  • Samara Joy - Linger Awhile makes GBH's best albums of 2022
    Posted At: December 15, 2022 12:00 AM
    Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy signed with Verve Records in 2022, and released ‘Linger Awhile.'  At just 22 years old, Samara has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice “as rich as custard” (The New York Times) and a delivery that is  “disarming [and] unhurried” (NPR Fresh Air), just as she has built a devoted following on TikTok and made avowed fans of Regina King, LaKeith Stanfi...
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  • Samara Joy chats with 'Straight No Chaser'
    Posted At: December 5, 2022 12:00 AM
    Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy has signed with Verve Records, and has released: Linger Awhile, her full-length debut for the label. At just 22 years old, Samara has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice “as rich as custard” (The New York Times) and a delivery that is  “disarming [and] unhurried” (NPR Fresh Air), just as she has built a devoted following on TikTok and made avowed fans ...
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  • Samara Joy's warm and smooth tone tells a story of maturity and delicacy on 'Linger Awhile' / The Argonaut
    Posted At: October 19, 2022 12:00 AM
    Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy has signed with Verve Records, and has released Linger Awhile, her full-length debut for the label, on September 16. At just 22 years old, Samara has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice “as rich as custard” (The New York Times) and a delivery that is  “disarming [and] unhurried” (NPR Fresh Air), just as she has built a devoted following on TikTok and m...
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  • Samara Joy - Linger Awhile is Jazz FM's 'Album of the Week'
    Posted At: October 15, 2022 12:00 AM
    Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy has signed with Verve Records, and recently released: ‘Linger Awhile,’ her full-length debut for the label, on September 16. At just 22 years old, Samara has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice “as rich as custard” (The New York Times) and a delivery that is  “disarming [and] unhurried” (NPR Fresh Air), just as she has built a devoted following on TikT...
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  • Samara Joy brings stardust to the 'Monterey Jazz Festival' fairgrounds / San Francisco Chronicle
    Posted At: September 22, 2022 12:00 AM
    San Francisco Chronicle - Andrew Gilbert writes…..Launched at the dawn of the space age, the Monterey Jazz Festival has long provided rocket fuel for young artists on the rise. Vocalist Ernestine Anderson’s performance at the festival’s inaugural edition in 1958 propelled her into the national spotlight, a trajectory followed in subsequent years by “Peanuts” composer and pianist Vince Guaraldi and tenor sax...
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  • Samara Joy: Linger Awhile / All About Jazz review
    Posted At: September 19, 2022 12:00 AM
    Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy has signed with Verve Records, and has just released: Linger Awhile, her full-length debut for the label, on September 16. At just 22 years old, Samara has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice “as rich as custard” (The New York Times) and a delivery that is  “disarming [and] unhurried” (NPR Fresh Air), just as she has built a devoted following on TikTok...
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  • Samara Joy set for the Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival / VigourTimes
    Posted At: September 5, 2022 12:00 AM
    VigourTimes - David Floury writes…..Singer Samara Joy is fast becoming a star jazz vocalist. She owns a rich, soulful voice that contains hints of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. She swings like mad and her ballad style is clear, emotional and expressive.As accolades pile up, she toured Europe and her U.S. live dates from Sept. 1 into early 2023 include more than 40 gigs in cities like Philadelphia, New ...
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  • Samara Joy's new single embodies Ella Fitzgerald, while adding her own unique vocal qualities / Musicalmemoirs
    Posted At: August 30, 2022 12:00 AM
    Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy has signed with Verve Records, and will release Linger Awhile, her full-length debut for the label, on September 16. At just 22 years old, Samara has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice “as rich as custard” (The New York Times) and a delivery that is  “disarming [and] unhurried” (NPR Fresh Air), just as she has built a devoted following on TikTok and m...
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  • Samara Joy's 'Cant Get Out of This Mood' makes JAZZIZ: New Release Cheat Sheet
    Posted At: August 5, 2022 12:00 AM
    Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy has signed with Verve Records, and will release Linger Awhile, her full-length debut for the label, on September 16. At just 22 years old, Samara has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice “as rich as custard” (The New York Times) and a delivery that is  “disarming [and] unhurried” (NPR Fresh Air), just as she has built a devoted following on TikTok and m...
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