A Joyful Holiday (Verve)
Samara Joy
Released October 27, 2023
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l4ZWAT2z5-VhE28PTGjBztosrdv1KOXno
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/intl-pt/album/2VEsXkmIycyL3VL2vvbneU?si=JelvO0zgQ4a6AkGQM5r9Xg
About:
2x Grammy winner Samara Joy’s first collection of holiday material. “A Joyful Holiday” features 4 new never-before-heard tracks and includes holiday staples like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “O Holy Night” plus “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me” featuring Sullivan Fortner. “The Christmas Song (Live)” is a duet with Samara and her father Antonio McLendon, captured live in 2022.
Track Listing:
1. Warm In December 04:14
2. Twinkle Twinkle Little Me 04:03
3. The Christmas Song 03:27
4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 03:46
5. O Holy Night 05:08
6. The Christmas Song 05:53
Personnel:
Samara Joy: vocals
Sullivan Fortner: organ (5)
Antonio McLendon: vocal (5, 6)
Goldwire McLendon: vocal (5)
Laurone McLendon: bgv (5)
Tiera Lovell Rowe: bgv (5)
Alana Alexander: bgv (5)
Shedrick Mitchell: piano (6)
Eric Wheeler: bass (6)
Charles Haynes: drums (6)
Review:
Samara Joy, the Gen Z jazz luminary, has the perfect stage name for someone serious about conjuring pure Christmas spirit on a holiday EP. Six songs reveal that she has a core of joyfulness and benevolence inside. She sings with an uncanny control, a keen intelligence and, for certain, a beautiful voice. Standouts are “Warm In December,” a mildly swinging revival of Julie London’s 1950s tune, that has Joy at the apogee of her powers, and “O Holy Night,” with her joined by singing family members (among them is her father, Antonio McLendon) in an inspired performance fit for a Christmas Eve gospel service. On the EP are several refined accompanists, including guest pianist Sullivan Fortner and Joy’s regular guitarist Pasquale Grasso.
Frank-John Hadley (DownBeat)
