Once-In-A-Generation Vocalist Samara Joy Shares Playful New Single “Sweet Pumpkin”

Verve Records Debut, Linger Awhile, set for release on September 16, 2022

August 26, 2022: Today Samara Joy playfully reinvents Ronnell Bright’s swinging 1960 tune “Sweet Pumpkin.” Despite a “ferocious touring regimen” (Andscape) and a musical wisdom beyond her years, the new single offers a reminder that the bubbly young vocalist is only 22 years old and loves to have fun. Samara’s “disarming [and] unhurried” (NPR Fresh Air) vocal delivery is supported by the vintage guitar sounds of Pasquale Grasso and the bouncy rhythm tandem of bassist David Wong and drum master Kenny Washington. While paying homage to those who came before her, Samara is introducing a new audience to a slew of classic standards several times older than she is through her timeless, irresistible sound.

Listen to “Sweet Pumpkin” here: https://samarajoy.lnk.to/SweetPumpkinVisualizer 

“Sweet Pumpkin” arrives three weeks ahead of Samara’s forthcoming Verve Records debut, Linger Awhile, due out September 16, 2022. The 10-song collection finds Samara updating beloved songs with a modern twist, sometimes singing original lyrics using the melodies of famous instrumental solos, a style known as vocalese. Recorded at Sear Sound in New York City and produced by Matt Pierson, Linger Awhile marks the next chapter for the once-in-a-generation vocalist with its release on the esteemed Verve Records. She’s already garnered critical acclaim for a voice “as rich as custard” (The New York Times) and “instincts that can’t be taught” (Consequence), just as she has earned millions of likes on TikTok and made avowed fans of Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, and many others.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Samara comes from a strong musical heritage and has relished the process of digging through music history from an early age. She fell in love with jazz while sitting in with the Fordham High School for the Arts jazz band, and eventually enrolled in SUNY Purchase’s jazz studies program. She took home the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition prize while in school before graduating as the Ella Fitzgerald Scholar in 2021. Throughout the remainder of 2022, Samara will perform across North America and Europe, making stops at jazz clubs, festivals, and cultural institutions, plus highly-anticipated NYC hometown shows at The Blue Note in September. Later this year, Samara will perform as a special guest with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for their Big Band Holidays tour, followed by a handful of her own holiday shows the week before Christmas. Full touring schedule below.

Get to know Samara Joy here: https://SamaraJoy.lnk.to/MeetSamara

Pre-order / pre-save Linger Awhile here: https://SamaraJoy.lnk.to/LingerAwhile 

“[A] glowing, auspicious debut.” - Nate Chinen, NPR

“It sounds like the greats reached out and touched her vocal cords and anointed her as the next in line.” - NPR Here & Now

“Her instincts are the kind that can’t be taught… [Samara] is able to capture the mood of the great vocalists that preceded her, channeling Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald with her rich, textured takes on a sentimental genre.” - Consequence

“A throwback singer with a TikTok sensibility.” - Andscape

“Warm, grounded and sturdy, an impression reinforced by her sure sense of pitch. But her understated, swingy rhythm can feel lighter than air. There's also the attention she pays a witty, poetic or heartfelt lyric without overselling it. She knows good words will carry their own weight. And with her clear diction, you can hear every one.” - Kevin Whitehead, NPR Fresh Air

“Samara Joy is a self-possessed, deeply emotive vocalist, with power that usually takes a lot of living to master.” - Downbeat

 

Samara Joy 2022 Tour Dates

August 26 – Atlanta, GA – Callanwolde Fine Arts Center

August 27 – Charlotte, NC – Middle C

September 1 – Cincinnati, OH – Caffe Vivace

September 2 – Ann Arbor, MI – Blue Llama

September 3 – Stevens Point, WI – Riverfront Jazz Fest

September 4 – Menasha, WI – Fox Jazz Fest

September 8-9 – Philadelphia, PA – South

September 10 – Albany, NY – Riverfront Jazz

September 12 – New York, NY – The Blue Note

September 14 - Durham, NC - Duke University

September 16 - Boston, MA - Sculler’s

September 17 - Lake George, NY - Lake George Jazz Festival

September 18 - Pittsburgh, PA - August Wilson

September 20 - Berkeley, CA - Freight & Salvage

September 23 - Monterey, CA - Monterey Jazz Festival

September 24 - Chicago, IL - Rockefeller Memorial Chapel (duo w/Pasquale Grasso)

September 26 - New York, NY - The Blue Note

September 28 – Albuquerque, NM – Outpost

September 29 – College Station, TX – Rudder Theatre

September 30 – Phoenix, AZ – MIM

October 1 – Costa Mesa, CA – Segerstrorm Center

October 2 – Half Moon Bay, CA – Bach Dancing & Dynamite

October 7 – Azroes, Portugal – Angra Jazz

October 11-12 – Cologne, Germany – King George Jazz Club

October 14 – Toulouse, FR – Jazz Sur Son 31

October 15 – Nancy, FR – Nancy Jazz Pulsations

October 17 – Bordeaux, FR – L’Auditorium de Bordeaux

October 18 – Comeilles-en-Parisis, FR – Theater duComier

October 20 – Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, FR – Culture House

October 21 – Occitanie, FR – Saint-Mamert-du-gard

October 22 – Lisbon, Port – Seixal Jazz Festival

October 24 – Barcelona, Spain – Barcelona Jazz Festival

October 25 – Paris, FR – New Morning

November 3 – Indianapolis, IN – Shelton Auditorium

November 4 – Appleton, WI – Lawrence University

November 6 – Bronx, NY – Wave Hill Public Garden

November 10-13 – Chicago, IL – Jazz Showcase

November 18 – Storrs, CT – Jorgensen PAC

November 20 – Blue Bell, PA – Montgomery County CC

November 27-28 - Minneapolis, MN - Big Band Holidays w/J@LC Orchestra

November 20 - Eau Claire, WI - Big Band Holidays w/J@LC Orchestra

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 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)

December 22 – Arlington, MA – Regent Theater (HOLIDAY SHOW)

December 23 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Universal Preservation Hall (HOLIDAY SHOW)

 

Connect with Samara Joy:

Website / TikTok / Instagram / Facebook