El1 - Linger Awhile with Samara Joy
VIDEO INTERVIEW | Ascending to a new height in her artistry, jazz music’s premiere savant is ready to learn new things
Still reeling from a double Grammy win for her 2022 album Linger Awhile, 23-year-old Samara Joy has seen remarkable success in these early years of her professional career. With a voice already dripping with the tones, history, and artistry of great jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Nancy Wilson, it is no wonder her accolades now include the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album ─ an award first given to Ella herself in 1977, the Grammy Award for Best New Artist ─ a big win for a jazz artist competing with more mainstream artists in a general category, on top of winning the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. As the self-proclaimed “first Gen Z jazz-singing star,” she grapples with the external pressure of her musical heritage and influences, while challenging herself to make mistakes, learn, and find her own way.
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