Encore: Samara Joy

Sarah Vaughan’s version of “Lover Man”—that recording was what captivated Samara Joy, and that’s when jazz entered her life. At the time, she had just started college. But she was by no means unfamiliar with music—her grandparents ran the gospel group The Savettes, and her father, Antonio McLendon, worked as a musician. Samara herself sang in church as a child, developed a love for R&B, and, through Vaughan, for jazz as well. At a very young age, she won the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and received rave reviews for her album “Linger Awhile.” Incidentally, she’s still young—barely in her mid-20s—but she already has six Grammys under her belt; top-tier musicians, from Christian McBride to Emmet Cohen, want to work with her. When she interprets classics like “‘Round Midnight,” comparisons are out of the question. Sure, Vaughan is a role model, and one might think of Abbey Lincoln. But her ability to tell stories with her voice, her unpretentious opulence, her multifaceted artistry—that’s what sets her apart all on her own.