Samara Joy’s Holiday Concert Lights Up the Night
Written by Tumi Adeyoju, Leydi Gonzalez on December 8, 2023
On December 1, 2023, Samara Joy McLendon, more frequently known as Samara Joy, graced everyone’s ears with her beautiful voice at the Wortham Theater Center in Houston, Texas. Following the release of her holiday EP, A Joyful Holiday, the two-time Grammy Award-winning jazz singer put on quite a show with her own spin on classic Christmas carols.
With her opening number, “Warm In December,” Joy showcased her unique vocal range off the bat, starting off the night with a bang. As a young rising artist, you can see that she has a successful career ahead. With her ease and comfort in gliding from low to high octaves. She gave the older crowd a nice taste with her own rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me” by Stevie Wonder. Midway through the concert, Samara did something that probably isn’t quite seen at jazz concerts; she brought out her father, her two cousins, and her brother to join her on stage. The rest of this concert was surely something special. As the family did a soulful rendition of “Oh Holy Night,” they brought in the essence of Black culture. Having the pianist play on the organ added a gospel influence to the set that just livened the room.
A song that stood out from the entire set was “Guess Who I Saw Today.” It transported the crowd to the low light; a speakeasy jazz feel that we all know and love. Samara Joy really brought such a merry spirit to Wortham Theater that night. If you ever have a chance to hear her live, or even check out her Spotify, you won’t be disappointed.
