2x Grammy-Nominated “Silky-Voiced Rising Jazz Star” (New York Times) Samara Joy Shares Holiday Single “Warm in December”

23-year-old vocalist nominated for BEST NEW ARTIST at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards®

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

November 18, 2022: Once-in-a-generation vocalist Samara Joy - nominee for Best New Artistat the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards® - will leave you feeling festive with her new single “Warm in December.” The swinging jazz standard is yet another example of the 23-year-old’s unique ability to reinvigorate classic songs for a new generation. She’s been called “the silky-voiced rising jazz star” (New York Times), “a classic jazz singer from a new generation” (NPR All Things Considered), and “a jazz purist who embodies generations of great Black female singers across idioms” (Andscape). Throughout the holiday season, Samara will join the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra as a special guest on their Big Band Holidays tour, followed by a handful of her own holiday shows the week before Christmas. She will release a second single, “O Holy Night” (featuring members of her family), on December 2, 2022.

Listen to Samara Joy’s new single “Warm in December,” featuring Sullivan Fortner (piano), David Wong (double bass), and Kenny Washington (drums): https://samarajoy.lnk.to/WarmInDecember

Less than two months after the release of her Verve Records debut album, Linger Awhile, Samara has added a new credential to her impressive resume: 2x Grammy nominee. Linger Awhile - nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards® - finds the Bronx native modernizing beloved songs with her “youthful exuberance” (WRTI) and “instincts that can’t be taught” (Consequence), sometimes singing original lyrics using the melodies of famous instrumental solos, a style known as vocalese. The album was recorded in Samara’s hometown of New York City by Chris Allen and produced by Matt Pierson and features the exemplary musicianship of Ben Paterson (piano), Pasquale Grasso (guitar), David Wong (double bass), and Kenny Washington (drums).

Linger Awhile vinyl LPs, CDs, and merch are available today: https://jazz.centerstagestore.com/pages/samara-joy

At just 23 years old, Samara Joy has dazzled crowds at jazz clubs, festivals, and cultural institutions across the globe, performed on NBC’s Today Show with Hoda and Jenna, and earned glowing public endorsements from the likes of Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, and many others. While she is influenced by the greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone, Samara takes a contemporary approach to her art and performance as evidenced by her massive TikTok following. Born and raised in the “Boogie Down Bronx,” it wasn’t until she was asked to sit in with her high school jazz band that she discovered her love of jazz. Samara took home the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition prize while earning her degree from SUNY Purchase’s jazz studies program and eventually graduated as the Ella Fitzgerald Scholar.

Samara Joy 2022 Tour Dates

November 18 – Storrs, CT – Jorgensen PAC

November 20 – Blue Bell, PA – Montgomery County CC

December 2 – Raleigh, NC – Big Band Holidays w/J@LC Orchestra

December 3 – York, PA – Big Band Holidays w/J@LC Orchestra

December 5 - St. Louis, MO - Big Band Holidays w/J@LC Orchestra

December 7 - Austin, TX - Big Band Holidays w/J@LC Orchestra

December 9 - Phoenix, AZ - Big Band Holidays w/J@LC Orchestra

December 10 - Wickenburg, AZ - Big Band Holidays w/J@LC Orchestra

December 14-18 - New York, NY - Big Band Holidays w/J@LC Orchestra

December 20 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere (HOLIDAY SHOW)

December 21 – Philadelphia, PA – The Ardmore (HOLIDAY SHOW)