Samara Joy - Portrait - Album Review

A poster for a band called the crew

Photo of the album cover for Samara Joy's Portrait

by Adam Darbyshire—


GRAMMY award winning artist Samara Joy crafts a stunning soundscape of vivid hues and complex harmonies with her aptly-titled second studio album Portrait. Each track is seamlessly woven together through some of the most impressive composing and arranging I’ve heard from any recent jazz release. Each track serves as a carefully brushed stroke on a massive canvas. With brilliant vocal control and an impressively dynamic range, Joy has no problem painting this colorful canvas from top to bottom.

Samara Joy’s rich and mature voice fills the room with a masterful elegance similar to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and demonstrates a deeper understanding of the art form, which gives tribute to the greats who inspire her (Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae just to name a few). Joy continues to become one of the most unique and innovative voices in the contemporary vocal jazz world.

"Joy continues to become one of the most unique and innovative voices in the contemporary vocal jazz world"

The consensus stemming from today's discourse is that the jazz scene is teeming with copycats. The often-repeated lament of “jazz is dead” comes off extremely shortsighted and naïve, especially while artists like  Samara Joy consistently strive to find new ways to breathe life into the lively genre.


Though her latest project consists primarily of covers—aside from the brilliant "A Fool in Love (Is Called a Clown)" and "Peace of Mind"—the band’s fresh arrangements transform these swing classics into something uniquely her own. From jazz standards like "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" and "Autumn Nocturn" to deeper cuts from the jazz songbook like Sun Ra’s "Dreams Come True," Joy employs her own storytelling prowess to present a new perspective to these classics.


Her band's undeniable chemistry, featuring some of the finest jazz musicians of the younger generation (many of which are native to the Tampa and St. Petersburg area), enhance the creative energy and emotional depth of Joy's voice.

Samara Joy’s album Portrait stands as a milestone album for the contemporary jazz scene. Over the course of eight beautifully sequenced tracks, Joy and her band contribute meaningful impact to the genre’s ongoing evolution—a necessary reminder that jazz is not only alive but it's also thriving.

AAF Rating: 5/5 trumpets

A black and white image of arabic writing on a white background.

AAF Top Picks:  You Stepped Out Of A Dream, Reincarnation Of A Lovebird, Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come True, No More Blues

Share by: