Rising star, and vocalist Samara Joy, who has signed with Verve Records, will release Linger Awhile, her full-length debut for the label, this September 16. The 22-year-old has already garnered critical acclaim for a voice and built a devoted following on social media platforms which includes Regina King, and LaKeith Stanfield to name two. The Bronx native took home the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition prize while still in college and performed on The Today Show earlier this year. Hailed as an “exciting boundary-stretcher” by the (The Boston Globe), Samara also made her “glowing, auspicious debut” (NPR) at the Newport Jazz Festival, earning multiple standing ovations in the process.
Her debut album 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. The album was recorded at Sear Sound in New York City and features the masterful Pasquale Grasso (guitar), Ben Paterson (piano), David Wong (double bass), and Kenny Washington (drums). The tracklist includes reinvented classics “Someone to Watch Over Me” (George Gershwin), “’Round Midnight” (Thelonious Monk), and “Nostalgia (The Day I Knew)” (Fats Navarro). Linger Awhile not only highlights Samara’s timeless vocals and musical wisdom beyond her years, but it also introduces this foundational popular music to a fresh audience.
“I am deeply honored to be a part of a roster that has included so many of my greatest vocal inspirations: Sarah, Billie, Ella, and Betty to name a few,” says Samara about her Verve debut. “Being a part of this lineage is humbling, and I will continue to use all of the inspiration gleaned from them to pursue my own unique journey as a singer and an artist.” The album drops this September 16th.
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