Recording of the Week, Samara Joy - Portrait

“I am not a special person”, the legendary jazz vocalist Sarah Vaughan is said to have once remarked: “I am a regular person who does special things.” With a mature voice both fine and mellow, the New York-based vocalist Samara Joy has already raised comparisons with the ‘Divine One’, whose life and career was paid tribute to in a BBC Proms concert earlier this summer. Despite these equivalences, however, the 24-year-old remains a true original at heart, having embarked on a recent worldwide tour with a group of young (but equally prodigious) musical accompanists. 

Portrait is the vocalist’s second full-length album on Verve since signing to the historic American label – once home to Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday, amongst others – in 2022, and follows in the wake of her receiving a pair of Grammys for Best New Artist and Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2023. She took home an additional gong at this year’s ceremony in the form of Best Jazz Performance award for ‘Tight’, a self-produced Betty Carter track which has quickly become a live fan-favourite. Her latest release is bound by the tightly woven strands of Joy’s working relationship with her band, formed over the many months they’ve spent extensively touring the globe. 

Whilst she may take a leaf or two from the books of her assured inspirations mentioned above, Joy’s own confident personality and unmatched ability leave her a force to be reckoned with on the contemporary scene. Her's is a sound that hearkens back to a forgotten time, tinged with warm, vintage tones of honey-coated glamour. But, that’s not to say she has her head fixed solely in the past, as if conceitedly trying to recapture those glittering days of old. On the contrary, the Bronx-native’s vocal stylings are refreshingly modern in their outlook, injecting each cosily familiar classic with an invigorating jolt of ambition and an optimistic sense of new beginnings. 

So, with a trail of critical acclaim following close behind her already, many listeners have been left wondering as to what might come next. The answer? A stirring set of eight sumptuous tunes, matched in rank by her magnificent octet (with Joy referring to herself as  ‘the fifth horn’). Simply listen to the singer's impactful rendition of Charles Mingus' ‘Reincarnation of a Lovebird’, which begins with a boldly unaccompanied solo verse, to fully appreciate the wide range of her glossy prowess. At points, it’s almost tricky to distinguish between her silken pipes and the frontline’s warm, brassy tones. What’s clear is Joy’s supreme ability to convey emotion through song, whether she’s interpreting well-known lyrics or the melodious patter of wordless vocalese. With her matchless phrasing and impressive vocal stamina and technique, I have no doubt her interpretations will go on to be considered ‘textbook’, inspiring generations of vocalists to come. 

Aside from a festive-themed EP recorded in tandem with her family members last year, Joy’s discography between Linger Awhile and now has included a Spotify Singles cover of Nancy Wilson’s ‘Guess Who I Saw Today’. For context, Wilson's career first took off in 1959, just as the beloved singer was just turning 22. In comparison, Samara found her start even earlier, recording and releasing her self-titled debut on Whirlwind Records while still a university student. And, with her star steadily on the rise, who can say what the future holds as she surpasses the remarkable heights found on this wonderful album?