An American jazz singer from New York City, Samara Joy had already been making waves in the jazz scene before being thrust onto the national stage at the 2023 Grammys, where she took home the coveted Best New Artist award. The smooth, velvety alto lent her dulcet tones to vintage jazz and pop standards on her eponymous debut album in 2021; for her Verve Records debut Linger Awhile (which won Best Jazz Vocal Album at the Grammys), she pays homage to Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson, and adds original lyrics to instrumental solos, sung note for note.
