SAMARA JOY - Samara Joy
Whirlwind Recordings – WR4776
Pasquale Grasso - guitar; Ari Roland - bass; Kenny Washington - drums
Samara Joy won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2019, and her tone and phrasing on the opening tune ‘Stardust’ are uncannily reminiscent of the great Sarah herself: the wide vibrato is turned down a bit and the delivery is more microphone-intimate than big-band bravado, but her rich tone and confident delivery show an astonishing maturity for someone who was only 21 when these cuts were recorded. Her grandparents lead a renowned gospel group in Philadelphia, so singing runs in the family, but by any measure she’s clearly an exceptional talent. ‘Everything Happens To Me’ swings along beautifully before rising to a virtuosic coda: she’s as captivatingly confident on the superfast uptempo of ‘Let’s Dream In The Moonlight’ as on the stately rendition of ‘But Beautiful’, complete with seldom-heard verse, and can pull off the difficult trick of being equally jaunty and mournful in the vein of the great Bille Holliday on the latter’s ‘Jim’. Joy has obviously been recognised as a major talent because she’s been paired with Grammy-nominated producer Matt Pierson, who in turn has brought in Pasquale Grasso on guitar and the rhythm team of Ari Roland on bass and drummer Kenny Washington. Grasso is an astonishing player in the vein of Ted Greene or Joe Pass and his lightning fast chordal runs and imaginative harmonisations are a tasteful delight throughout - check his accompaniment on ‘Everything Happens To Me’ for instance - Roland and Washington are all restraint, swing and taste, and Roland has the added distinction of being able to carry off the much-maligned arco solo with the verve and accuracy of Slam Stewart. ‘’If You Never Fall In Love With Me’ in particular is a tour de force of mainstream jazz trio arrangement. Joy is star of the show, however, and there’s not a weak performance across this collection of standards, some well-loved and some unfamiliar. Outstanding.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Whirlwind Recordings – WR4776
Pasquale Grasso - guitar; Ari Roland - bass; Kenny Washington - drums
Samara Joy won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2019, and her tone and phrasing on the opening tune ‘Stardust’ are uncannily reminiscent of the great Sarah herself: the wide vibrato is turned down a bit and the delivery is more microphone-intimate than big-band bravado, but her rich tone and confident delivery show an astonishing maturity for someone who was only 21 when these cuts were recorded. Her grandparents lead a renowned gospel group in Philadelphia, so singing runs in the family, but by any measure she’s clearly an exceptional talent. ‘Everything Happens To Me’ swings along beautifully before rising to a virtuosic coda: she’s as captivatingly confident on the superfast uptempo of ‘Let’s Dream In The Moonlight’ as on the stately rendition of ‘But Beautiful’, complete with seldom-heard verse, and can pull off the difficult trick of being equally jaunty and mournful in the vein of the great Bille Holliday on the latter’s ‘Jim’. Joy has obviously been recognised as a major talent because she’s been paired with Grammy-nominated producer Matt Pierson, who in turn has brought in Pasquale Grasso on guitar and the rhythm team of Ari Roland on bass and drummer Kenny Washington. Grasso is an astonishing player in the vein of Ted Greene or Joe Pass and his lightning fast chordal runs and imaginative harmonisations are a tasteful delight throughout - check his accompaniment on ‘Everything Happens To Me’ for instance - Roland and Washington are all restraint, swing and taste, and Roland has the added distinction of being able to carry off the much-maligned arco solo with the verve and accuracy of Slam Stewart. ‘’If You Never Fall In Love With Me’ in particular is a tour de force of mainstream jazz trio arrangement. Joy is star of the show, however, and there’s not a weak performance across this collection of standards, some well-loved and some unfamiliar. Outstanding.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
