A Jazz Renaissance: The Career and Success of Samara Joy
When I was growing up, there was no shortage of jazz around me. I knew all the greats — I’m looking at you, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong — from a young age. My dad’s music classroom had a “jazz wall” in it, and my elementary school chorus sang “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder. Even as I got older, jazz stayed all around me. I was recruited for my high school’s jazz ensemble, I auditioned and performed in my state’s jazz festival, and to this day, whenever I go to my grandparents’ house, there is a 90% chance that their Amazon Alexa will be playing a “smooth jazz” mix. All of this is to say that I live in a world where jazz is my soundtrack.
Growing up around jazz, I grew accustomed to the fact that most — if not all — of the musicians I listened to would not be releasing new music or going on tours. Their prime years had come and gone before I had even been born. As I got older and started college, I was introduced to Laufey. An artist with a breakthrough career, Laufey delivers vocals and instrumentals that renewed my appreciation for jazz. However, as much as I enjoyed Laufey’s songs, they did not give me the same comfort as the jazz I’d grown up on. It wasn’t until one fateful night, when Spotify played “You Stepped Out of a Dream” by Samara Joy, that I realized my prayers had been answered. Classic jazz was finally being revitalized.
From the second I first heard Samara Joy’s smooth vocals, I felt like her voice was wrapping me in a hug and serving me a home-cooked dinner. She has all the training of a 50-year-old seasoned jazz musician at only 25 years old, made even more impressive by the fact that she only started singing jazz as a high school senior. The scatting and riffs in her most recent album, Portrait, rival those of Ella Fitzgerald. Listening to this album, I was transported back to my grandparents’ living room floor as they cooked mac and cheese for dinner.
With a voice as controlled and as rich as hers, it’s no surprise that Joy has gotten recognition for her talents. Along with plenty of accolades for her albums, Joy has made it onto the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list, naming her as one of the musicians of the future. The list names her the leader of the jazz renaissance and the Ella Fitzgerald of Gen Z. With labels like that at 25, I have no doubt that she will fulfill her destiny and revive old jazz — the jazz I grew up on.
Already winning three Grammy Awards, Joy is destined to do great things. I cannot wait to see what she does next. For all you jazz fans out there, make sure to give her a listen. Maybe one day we’ll be telling our kids or grandkids that we listened to her albums when they came out or saw her live, just as our parents or grandparents have done with us.