Samara Joy takes center stage at The Beach
Samara Joy, who is only 23 years old, is a far cry from the average college graduate. She won two Grammy Awards in February for her song “Linger Awhile,” winning Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album.
On September 23, this well-known vocalist welcomed fall at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center by mesmerizing the crowd with her silky voice, which evokes the heyday of jazz. Joy, however, graciously allowed Long Beach State students—especially those committed to studying or performing jazz on campus—access to her soundcheck before she even took the stage.
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She also answered questions from kids during this interactive session regarding her creative process and the thorough preparation procedures she follows before a performance.
“It’s fantastic seeing her do this because she is these singers’ age and she is living the dream that a lot of them are in pursuit of right now,” said Jonny Arenas, director of Jazz & Tonic, one of the two vocal ensembles on campus.
Starting off the show with “Can’t Get Out of This Mood” from her album “Linger Awhile.” Samara Joy then enthralled the crowd with the Antônio Carlos Jobim song “Chega de Saudade,” which is entirely in Portuguese.
She had a fantastic command of rhythm and vocal control, seamlessly switching between songs and holding notes that seemed to go on forever. With the help of the bassist Michael Migliore, the drummer Evan Sherman, and the pianist Luther Allison, Joy’s seductive voice resounded loudly.
Joy kindly gave her band the focus throughout the performance, extolling their musical abilities with a self-assured demeanor. Betty Carter, a significant jazz influence, wrote the love songs “Tight” and “Beware My Heart,” which she covered. She drew musical inspiration from artists like Sarah Vaughn, Destiny’s Child, and Ella Fitzgerald.
Joy’s Bronx church was where she first learned to sing, but it wasn’t until she was a college student that she started to seriously pursue jazz and fall in love with the genre as an art form. Reinterpreting old jazz standards is a hallmark of her aesthetic. She finds that singing uninhibited and without a sheet of music gives her the most joy, nevertheless.
Source: daily49er
Samara Joy takes center stage at The Beach
