Samara Joy and her Septet

A native of the Bronx, Samara Joy became entranced by classic R&B as a child and cut her teeth as a singer in her church’s gospel choir. Her family history is deeply musical—her grandparents helmed the Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes, and her father, musician and songwriter Antonio McLendon, has produced, composed and arranged his own work—but she didn’t delve into the jazz tradition until college at SUNY Purchase.

During her studies she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which introduced her to the larger jazz scene as an arising star to watch. She was heard, by audiences and critics alike, as a masterful interpreter of jazz standards and a rightful heiress of the sound, technique and charisma that defined her jazz heroines—including Vaughan, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln and Carmen McRae.

Joy released her self-titled debut on the Whirlwind label in 2021, followed a year later by Linger Awhile, her breakout Verve debut. DownBeat said, "With this beautiful recording, a silky-voiced star is born." The album earned her a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album and a headline-making win for Best New Artist.

A deluxe edition of the album and the EP Joyful Holiday followed; Joyful Holiday took home Grammys for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Jazz Performance in 2025.

Her latest Verve album, Portrait, which Joy co-produced with trumpeter/bandleader and multi‑Grammy winner Brian Lynch, showcases the intimate, soulful chemistry she’s developed with her touring band. Portrait earned her an NAACP Image Award in 2025 for Outstanding Jazz Album and the Grammy for Best Vocal Jazz Album in 2026. It also spotlights her burgeoning gifts as a lyricist, in arrangements that meld her thoughtful words with music by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra and her late mentor Barry Harris.