She may still be young, but Samara Joy is already blessed with a voice that is not only deep and warm but also lets her reach high notes effortlessly. The singer grew up in the Bronx in a musical family. Her grandparents sang in a gospel choir in Philadelphia and her father is a singer, songwriter and producer. Joy also started out singing in church and quickly proved to be brimming with talent. In 2019, she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, and in 2021 she released her self-titled debut album on Whirlwind Recordings. It was followed by Linger Awhile, released a year later on the Verve label, which earned Joy no fewer than two Grammys: for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist. On that album, she is backed by drummer Kenny Washington, guitarist Pasquale Grasso, pianist Ben Paterson and bassist David Wong.
