FROM CASTLE HILL IN THE BRONX
TO A DEBUT AT CARNEGIE HALL IN MANHATTAN,
SAMARA JOY IN CONCERT AND IN THE GROOVE
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Most jazz vocalists dream of rapid success: winning a major contest, dazzling critics with a first recording by age 21, snagging a Best New Artist Grammy, racking up a shelf of awards within a few years, booking prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, selling them out, and heading off on international tours—all while still in their mid-twenties. Most jazz vocalists, in short, achieve all of that… in their dreams.
But for Bronx native Samara Joy, this dream is real. As she soaked in the rapturous applause and standing ovation at her Carnegie Hall debut on the last night of April, she beamed and called out to the audience: “Thank you for making my dream come true!”
Dreams, in fact, seem to run through her song choices. Scan the tracklists on her albums and you’ll find: “Let’s Dream in the Moonlight,” “If You’d Stay the Way I Dream About You,” “Reincarnation Of A Lovebird (Pursuit of a Dream),” “You Stepped Out of a Dream,” and “Dreams Come True/Peace of Mind.” Not all made it into the concert, of course, but those last two—both from her most recent album Portrait—were prime picks. She slipped sweetly into the lovestruck mood of “You Stepped Out of a Dream,” idealizing someone “too wonderful to be what you seem,” and leaned into optimism with “Dreams Come True,” assuring, “Mine came true / And yours will, too. / All you have to do is dream.” (Sounds simple enough, right?)
There was plenty of sweetness and bliss elsewhere, including the 1945 standard “Day by Day” and the brisk bossa nova bounce of “No More Blues.” But having the blues and the blahs weren’t left out—Joy also visited the shadowy corners of the repertoire with “‘Round Midnight” and “I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good).” It made for a satisfying emotional balance (and that ain’t bad). However, for good or bad, even the saddest selections never dipped too far into darkness. She focused more on melodies than on deeply living through the lyrics in the moment. Right now, she belongs to the lineage of jazz vocalists who soar through the musical line—bending, stretching, scatting, making creative substitutions, adjusting tempi and tone, and generally keeping the sound nimble and inventive. Compared to her more measured studio recordings, her live liberties were plentiful indeed.
Sometimes, it felt like she was gunning for gold in the Olympic event of Vocal Gymnastics—with points for reinventing melodies, showing off melisma, and holding final notes for a notably long, long time. Even when it verged on excess, it remained jaw-droppingly, eyebrow-raisingly impressive. Her voice is a killer instrument—rich with color, wielded with skill and showmanship. Of course, there’s a fine line between showmanship and showing off, and holding back doesn’t always hold a crowd in a long concert. But at age 26, still relatively new to jazz after growing up with R&B and gospel in her musical family, her raw energy, enthusiasm, and fearless exploration are understandable and rather charming. Nuance, restraint, and deeper shading will surely come. She’s well on her way; it will continue to be exciting to watch her trajectory. In any case, her talent and presentation bring thrills and even awe. And, at times, she sounds confidently and commandingly like a veteran who’s been at it for a couple of decades.
Still, there’s a youthful wonder and bubbly appreciation in how she processes her rapid rise and growing fan base. Between songs, she speaks with sincere gratitude—acknowledging what a milestone Carnegie Hall is, giving shout-outs to her middle school teacher and family in the audience, and genuinely digging and delighting in the talents of her excellent band, crediting individuals for their solos and arrangements throughout the night. Her terrific ensemble: Kendric McCallister (tenor sax), David Mason (alto sax and flute), Jason Charos (trumpet), Connor Rohrer (piano), Donavan Austin (trombone), Paul Sikivie (bass), and Evan Sherman (drums).
Her previous New York concert was at The Town Hall, reviewed by Stage and Cinema, and she’ll continue to deck the halls of major venues over the next year—Chrysler Hall in Virginia, Royal Albert Hall in London, Thalia Hall in Chicago, and David Geffen Hall back in New York next May, with stops in a dozen countries along the way.
For her assertive encore, Samara Joy saved a final facet of her myriad of musical moods: sass. She launched into the assertive “Get Out of My Life,” telling an ex, “Get out of my life, leave me alone / Don’t write me no letter, don’t call me on the phone / Well, I’m trying to forget that I love you so.” But judging by the roaring cheers from the packed house of old fans and new, no one will be forgetting about Samara Joy anytime soon. With her stylish ways, ample abilities, and rich, resonant voice, she’s already unforgettable.
photos by Jennifer Taylor
Samara Joy and her Band
Carnegie Hall in NYC
reviewed on April 30, 2025
more info @ Samara Joy
