A signed copy of “Portrait” by Samara Joy on vinyl
By Jaymes Grace
The amazing Miss Samara Joy made an appearance at the Historic Fox Theatre in Downtown Tucson this past Halloween night. As I waited to enter the venue, the theatre was abuzz with anticipation. I was introduced to this 24-year-old jazz great only two weeks prior, but the theatre was packed with gray-haired aficionados of jazz, who unlike myself, have been enthralled with Joy since the release of her self-titled debut album in 2021.
Once I entered, the stage was set—four chairs, a drum set, a piano and bench, a stool and a stand-alone music stand for the bass player. Right at 7:30 PM, Joy’s seven-piece band entered, took their seats against the blue and red-lit backdrop and began to play their jazzy notes. Joy gave the audience just one minute to pick up the vibe before she entered wearing a bright red sleeveless dress,, accented by a pair of sparkly heels. As she began to sing to us, her voice fluttered like a butterfly on a crisp fall day, quickly and lightly, reaching heights and depths unimaginable for a mere 24-year-old.
As I was researching Miss Joy (I like to call her Miss. Joy as she is worthy of the title), I read where film director Regina King said she sounds as if Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald are both living in her body. Soon after I watched a video of her where I said out loud to myself “Where is that voice coming from?” Then I thought “Regina, you were right on!” And true to form, Joy’s scat singing, just like Ella’s, is on point!
From her newest album, she sang You Stepped Out of a Dream, an arrangement from band ensemble member Jason Charos. She also sang A Fool In Love (Is Called A Clown) and Peace Of Mind/Dreams Come True. The entire album was arranged by Joy and members of her band.
Joy has been on the scene since 2019 when she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Since then, her musical portfolio has exploded, including 675,000 followers on TikTok, a series of sold-out concerts in Italy and Austria and two Grammy Awards in 2023, just to name a mere few of her accolades. This Gen Z’er has definitely caught the attention of her generation as well. I spoke with a few of her Gen Z followers at the concert. The trend was they all seemed to be introduced to her organically, from one person to another. And as far as jazz goes, Joy is all they know!