Kicking off the new 27th season in Rudder Theatre on September 29 at 7 pm, Friends of Chamber Music will present Samara Joy, the first Gen Z jazz singing star and new global jazz sensation, in collaboration with the Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts at Texas A&M University and the Brazos Valley Jazz Society.
Bronx-born into a family of musicians, Samara Joy burst onto the New York jazz scene in 2019 when she won the prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition while still a student at State University of New York at Purchase. Following the release of her self-titled debut album on Whirlwind Recordings label in 2021, the Downbeat magazine called Joy a “deeply emotive vocalist, with power that usually takes a lot of living to master.”
This September, the release of Joy’s Linger Awhile, her full-length debut album for the venerable Verve Records label, has put her renditions of the classic standards into the line of timeless masterpieces by the great jazz singers, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Billie Holiday.
Joy’s voice, defined by The New York Times as being “rich as custard,” has earned her fans like Anita Baker and Regina King, appearances on the TODAY Show, high critical acclaim, global social media following, and millions of likes on Tik-Tok.
Joy’s first Texas show in College Station is a part of her extensive US tour that includes 12 states. The Rudder Theatre audience should expect to be treated to Joy’s interpretations of classic jazz standards, such as “Someone to Watch Over Me” by George Gershwin, “'Round Midnight” by Thelonious Monk, and “Nostalgia” by Fats Navarro. Samara Joy will be joined on stage by Ben Paterson on piano, Paul Sikivie on bass, and Even Sherman on Drums.
College Station High School Student Jazz Ensemble under the direction of CSHS Head Band Director, Jon Seale, will give a short performance of their current repertoire for the incoming audience at Rudder Theatre from 6:30 to 6:50 pm before the start of the show.
Additional Information about Samara Joy can be found at samarajoy.com and bnatural.nyc/artists/samara-joy/.
Tickets for Samara Joy’s concert are available on the Friends of Chamber Music website, fcmtx.org, or at the MSC Box Office, bit.ly/3c1N1wN, (979) 845-1234.
Adults $20; Students $5; Pre-K free.
Information Courtesy of Friends of Chamber Music
