By: Rudy Lu

Samara Joy has blossomed into the 2020’s Jazz diva since her early performances in 2019. I have watched her perform as an emerging talent at Jazz In The Valley in 2019, in a duet with Pasquale Grasso @ the Falcon and with other bands @ Freihofer Jazz and Albany Riverfront Jazz Festival. She has also performed with her musical family in Christmas concerts on various occasions. This particular performance Ms. Joy fronts a 7 piece septet of exceptional musicians. Consisting of bass, drums(Evan Sherman) piano-(Connor Rorer) alto sax/flute(David Mason), tenor sax(Kendrix McAlister), trumpet (Jason Charos), and trombone(Donovan Austin).

She explained to the audience “Most of the tunes we are playing are familiar but have our own stamp on them”. That stamp was extending the melody and letting Samara’s voice be its own instrument.

Standards like ; “I’ve Got It Bad”, “Stairways To The Stars”, “Stardust”, “Our Love Is Here To Stay”, were performed to perfection with further enhancement by the arrangements and Samara’s voice.

The encore was the Billie Holiday/Lester Young classic , “Fine and Mellow”. Audience participation was encouraged with the audience clapping along.

At this young age of 29, Samara can now be considered a peer to the greats, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Nina Simone and Betty Carter in the pantheon of female Jazz singers.