Dazzling, breathtaking, virtuosic, magnificent, thrilling, awe inspiring, world class singing is what I experienced! This woman is a living legend. She will go down in history as one of the greatest Jazz vocalists to live on this earth! There is a reason she has 6 Grammy awards. If she is in your city doing a show do not second guess whether you should purchase a ticket. This was my second time seeing her perform and my jaw was on the floor the entire time. To hear her sing with the Jazz giants (Charlie McBride, Mark carney and Carl Allen) was a match made in the highest of heaven. I’ll never forget this night.

My goodness, any attempt to put into words the bliss of an evening with this phenomenally talented artist will fall short, so I will be brief. Ms. Joy does things with her voice I didn’t know were possible. I’ve heard her on vinyl, but nothing prepared me for this evening with the most arresting chanteuse I’ve heard in decades. Each member of her band was talented in his own right,. Together, they worked through jazz standards beyond the usual fare, and even offered an original composition. An evening well worth the investment.

This was a beautiful experience! The support from Kristen Berardi and Sam Anning created an intimacy from the first song ‘Lawns’ . I was impressed by the vocals and double bass duo, which to me seemed both brave and awesome . I have downloaded their music already. Samara Joy apologetically shared with the audience at the start of the set that she had a cold. I’m perplexed by this and I felt by the end of the first song that if she had a cold she don’t ever need Lemsip. Her vocals were warm, soared and to me seemed flawless . Along with her band there was a perfect jazz synchronicity which swept me away to my happy place. It was my first time at the beautiful City Recital Hall and as I left all I could think was wow! No encore required as it was wow. Thank you SIMA. Outstanding.

Samara Joy singt traumhaft und zeigt mit ihrem Oktett völlig neue Dimensionen des Vocal Jazz. Leider ist der Sound in der Elbphilharmonie unausgewogen, insbesondere sind Bass und Klavier viel zu leise, dadurch kommen sehr viele Details von Arrangements und Improvisationen beim Publikum gar nicht an. Beeindruckend ist, dass diese Top-Band seit über zwei Jahren weltweit auf Tournee ist und immer wieder neue, komplex arrangierte Stücke ins Programm nimmt. Vom letzten Album „Portrait“ sind natürlich einige dabei, aber zusätzlich noch ein halbes Dutzend neue Stücke. Das stärkste Stück des Abends war die Billie Holiday-Ballade „Left Alone“, mit einer unglaublich spannenden Atmosphäre. Nettes Detail: Nachdem beim letzten Stück der Refrain „No More Blues“ in diversen Variationen zum Abschluss geführt wurde, kam als Zugabe tatsächlich ein Blues, „My Mother Done Told Me (Blues in the Night)“.

Absolutely wonderful performance by not only Samara Joy, but her family the McClendon family. Clearly it is where Samara has inherited a talented rich legacy of song. Samara’s 94 year old grandfather was escorted on stage and preceded to amaze us with a heartfelt rendition of “It is well with My Soul”, which received a standing ovation. Antonio McClendon (Samara’s father), is a very accomplished vocalist & guitarist. This is my second time experiencing Samara Joy. The first was at NJPAC in June of this year. I thoroughly enjoyed both shows. Samara Joy, has a fan in me and the introduction to the McClendon family has me a fan of them as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

I finally had the opportunity to see Samara Joy live and she is truly a joy to listen too. She is a young, new jazz singer with an "old soul". Her vocal abilities are phenomenal. She puts a bit of a unique spin on many old standards. Her small band is awesome as well consisting of a piano, bass trombone, trumpet and (I think) 2 sax players. One gentleman also plays the flute. Her live show does not compare with her recordings. I would recommend everyone (especially if you love music) see her, You won't be disappointed.

Totally in awe and admiration 😍 I’ve discovered @samarajoysings thanks to Spotify’s algorithm in 2021 when she released her first recording of ‘Everything Happens to Me’. I instantly fell in love with her voice and rendition. I eagerly waited for her first album release. I’m a fan since !! October 2022 she came to a bursting and over crowded @newmorningparis , where she blew my mind and sang live even beyond my expectations 😍. Last night I saw a 24 year old young woman of exceptional talent and professionalism singing 2 1/2 hours for the first time to a sold out Olympia in Paris. Ella, Sarah, Dinah, Billie must be extremely proud of her and Abbey too! The crowd went wild and I cried 🥲 … tears of joy and so much bursting emotion ❤️‍🔥. A big Kudos to her band too : Evan Sherman (drums), Connor Rohrer (piano), Michael Migliore (bass), Jason Charos (trumpet), David Mason (alto sax), Kendrick McCallister (tenor sax) and Donavan Austin (trombone). Samara Joy McLendon (born November 11, 1999) is an American jazz singer. She released her self-titled debut album in 2021 and was subsequently named Best New Artist by JazzTimes. Her second album, Linger Awhile(2022), reached number one on the BillboardJazz Albums chart. At the 2023 Grammy Awards, she won the awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist. Her 2023 single “Tight” won Best Jazz Performance at the following ceremony. . My clips don’t really do justice of the magnificent performance I’ve witnessed, I was too busy watching, listening and crying 🥲😁 … but I urge you to go and witness awesomeness if she travels near you … !!!!

This concert was a Christmas gift to my wife. She fell in love with Samara Joy's music and it was a no brainer to purchase tickets for her show, during the Christmas holiday. We thoroughly enjoyed the concert. My wife especially. It was a magnificent experience and the performance was flawless. And to meet her after the concert and fellowship with her briefly, was the icing on the cake. Thank you Ms. Samara Joy for a fantastic concert and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

I Went To The Show On Thursday 12/14/23 & Saw Samara Joy Sing Along With Her Family @ The Apollo Theatre. The Show Was Spectacular & Samara Has Grown Into This Awesome Artist With A Voice To The Nations . I Can Remember Samara Singing With The Choir @ The Church As A Teen & Sang With The Adult Choir With A Strong Voice & Vocals. I Am So Proud Of The Beautiful Young Woman She Has Developed Into With A Voice That Has Attracted All Ages & Allowed Her Peers To See That You Don’t Have To Fit In, Just Be Who You Are Called To Be. I Will Always Support Her . Thank You Samara Joy McClendon 🥰🤗😘

Samara Joy and the McLendon family gave a warm holiday and holy joy time for this holiday season. The night was filled with some tears, laughter, hollers from the crowd at the ears witness of some of the best singers on this side of heaven. It truly was a delightful time and I am hopeful that Samara Joy and/or family come back to perform in Austin soon! Also great job to the Bass Concert Hall staff for their service on tonight. Job well done!

The show was excellent and Samara is one of a kind. It was jazz mixed in with sounds of Christmas, which made a perfect combination for putting me in the holiday spirit. It lasted about an hour, but I could’ve stayed there and listened to Samara’s melodic voice all night. My only complaint is that there were a lot a people who came in well after the show had started. It was very disturbing as they were shining flashlights from cell phones as they stumbled and fumbled to find their seats in the dark. In general, there was just a lot distracting noise and movement around us. We were sitting in the balcony (aka nose bleed). Additionally, the two women beside me talked throughout the entire performance. Next time, I will purchase my tickets sooner and get seats on the floor. The theater etiquette in the balcony was amiss. I highly recommend the show.

I’d have given it TEN STARS if that was an option!! The Barbican was far easier to find that I worried about! When we got there, there was a band playing upstairs while we enjoyed a drink! The staff were very helpful getting us the the right room (there are numerous performance spaces at this venue!) The performance itself was sublime, I love her albums but LIVE Samara does more scatting and singing around the tune, playing with her voice, just phenomenal! After the show we even got to meet her and get an autograph! It was an all round FANTASTIC experience and I’m so glad I made the effort to come out!

The show was amazing! Samara was amazing! This was my first time at the Carpenter Center and I loved the venue. The ONLY reason I gave this four instead of five stars was because the sign language interpreter was very distracting. The audience came to see Samara and to have someone else on her stage was not appropriate. If there were any hearing-impaired people in the audience, there's no way they would have been able to see what the person was signing, especially if they were sitting in the rear of the auditorium. Also, Samara sang a song in Portuguese. The interpreter couldn't sign in Portuguese, so she just stood there through the whole song. I understand wanting to be inclusive, but this was not the way. Perhaps the Carpenter Center should utilize the electronic signage they use for the opera. This way, hearing-impaired persons can read the sign high above the stage. This would be far less intrusive, and the artist can have the entire stage for their performance.

Samara was awesome!!! Legend in the making. Venue was nice. A bit disorganized. First to arrive, but to park were directed to the furthest from the entrance. Once in, no direction at all to the prepaid BBQ. Which for 2 people was not a good meal, nor worth the price. Would have been better off buying fresh made Pizza. Seats were comfortable but sun was directly in our eyes for a majority of concert. Her performance was excellent, sound quality was great. Would attend another concert with the hopes that things improve since it was just the first time.

What we witnessed tonight, 😲 there are no words to describe this beautiful, 23 year old young lady except, BRILLIANT, PHENOMENAL, UNREAL, and her voice is anointed by God. Samara's range can not be described--it's CRAZY!!! All the beautiful jazz singers who came before her, Sara Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Betty Carter, Nancy Wilson and so many more--she embodies them all, it is UNBELIEVABLE. There are no limits to where Miss Joy's career is headed because she knows who and whose she is, she understands, without God, none of this is possible, and she is so humble. We were so honored to witness the incredible gift of Miss Samara Joy in such a beautiful, intimate venue, SFJAZZ Center. Wow!!!

I never saw Samara Joy because when you first notified me in February the show dates for April at the vanguard were already sold out. And annoyingly Bandsintown continued to send me emails to attend a sold out event. Then I attempted to get tickets to see this artist at a different venue immediately upon receiving notification from Bandsintown that new show was just added and that was sold out too. I have little faith in Bandsintown to see artist’s I follow. I am sure had I seen this show it would have been amazing so I give Samara Joy 5 stars and Bandsintown no stars!

VENUE - EXCELLENT ARTIST - BEYOND AMAZING My only issue was that I received an email notiifying me that Samara would be performing at your venue. I got the email at 4:02pm and I responded at 4:06pm with a reply that the both performances were sold out. However, something told me to call the box office and see if there was anything that they could do. I was offered to be placed on the waitlist. Two days later, I received a call offering me (2) barstool seats in the box area. I went ahead and took advantage. Although my view was obscured, i did enjoy the concert tremendously. I loved the meet and greet afterwards and the fact that you offered valet parking. GREAT EVENT!

OMG!!! What a voice and a presence!! Such range at such a young age is MINDBLOWING!! Only recently learned about her and I must say I RAN to get tickets when I saw she would be near! The family joining in made it so special and so RARE. Made me really miss my family, but also celebrate that I am also from a musical family. What “joy” she managed to bring to me in so many layers during this show! Definitely will be seeing her again!!! UPH was AMAZING!! Cant wait to visit again! Great first time experience!

Samara Joy has a staggeringly beautiful voice, and I was very excited to see her. I first came across her in my Facebook feed, performing Stardust. I looked forward to hearing that, and other material from the Great American songbook. T’was the night before Christmas (two nights before, actually), so it was reasonable to expect one or two Christmas songs. That wasn’t what we got. I’ll estimate that the performance was eighty percent Christmas material. And that simply wasn’t what I’d hoped to hear. Also, she brought out her family (father, two cousins and an uncle). They are a remarkably talented family, but again… not what I was there to see, especially as the family members were included in at least half of the performance. I hate writing anything negative about such an incredible talent (and again, her family members each had wonderful voices too), but if the intent was a Christmas show, it should have been promoted as such. If it was a performance by the family, promote it as such. The show I saw was a fine show; it was NOT the one I paid to see.

The setting was perfect for an intimate jazz performance. The autumn foliage at Wave Hill and our picnic lunch were perfect table settings before enjoying the performance. Samara Joy far exceeded our expectations. She has a sweet personality and poise that far exceeds her young age. And her pipes! Fantastic range and phrasing. This is jazz vocals at its very best. The trio was excellent and perfectly complimented Ms Joy’s singing. The mature audience was clearly well versed in jazz as we chatted about similar divas - Nancy Wilson, Carla Cook, Carmen McRae, Dianne Reeves, Cat Russell, Dinah Washington and of course, Ella. Ms Joy clearly has the potential to be mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned. Jazz aficionado…… Richard Chu

Dazzling, breathtaking, virtuosic, magnificent, thrilling, awe inspiring, world class singing is what I experienced! This woman is a living legend. She will go down in history as one of the greatest Jazz vocalists to live on this earth! There is a reason she has 6 Grammy awards. If she is in your city doing a show do not second guess whether you should purchase a ticket. This was my second time seeing her perform and my jaw was on the floor the entire time. To hear her sing with the Jazz giants (Charlie McBride, Mark carney and Carl Allen) was a match made in the highest of heaven. I’ll never forget this night.

My goodness, any attempt to put into words the bliss of an evening with this phenomenally talented artist will fall short, so I will be brief. Ms. Joy does things with her voice I didn’t know were possible. I’ve heard her on vinyl, but nothing prepared me for this evening with the most arresting chanteuse I’ve heard in decades. Each member of her band was talented in his own right,. Together, they worked through jazz standards beyond the usual fare, and even offered an original composition. An evening well worth the investment.

This was a beautiful experience! The support from Kristen Berardi and Sam Anning created an intimacy from the first song ‘Lawns’ . I was impressed by the vocals and double bass duo, which to me seemed both brave and awesome . I have downloaded their music already. Samara Joy apologetically shared with the audience at the start of the set that she had a cold. I’m perplexed by this and I felt by the end of the first song that if she had a cold she don’t ever need Lemsip. Her vocals were warm, soared and to me seemed flawless . Along with her band there was a perfect jazz synchronicity which swept me away to my happy place. It was my first time at the beautiful City Recital Hall and as I left all I could think was wow! No encore required as it was wow. Thank you SIMA. Outstanding.

Samara Joy singt traumhaft und zeigt mit ihrem Oktett völlig neue Dimensionen des Vocal Jazz. Leider ist der Sound in der Elbphilharmonie unausgewogen, insbesondere sind Bass und Klavier viel zu leise, dadurch kommen sehr viele Details von Arrangements und Improvisationen beim Publikum gar nicht an. Beeindruckend ist, dass diese Top-Band seit über zwei Jahren weltweit auf Tournee ist und immer wieder neue, komplex arrangierte Stücke ins Programm nimmt. Vom letzten Album „Portrait“ sind natürlich einige dabei, aber zusätzlich noch ein halbes Dutzend neue Stücke. Das stärkste Stück des Abends war die Billie Holiday-Ballade „Left Alone“, mit einer unglaublich spannenden Atmosphäre. Nettes Detail: Nachdem beim letzten Stück der Refrain „No More Blues“ in diversen Variationen zum Abschluss geführt wurde, kam als Zugabe tatsächlich ein Blues, „My Mother Done Told Me (Blues in the Night)“.

Absolutely wonderful performance by not only Samara Joy, but her family the McClendon family. Clearly it is where Samara has inherited a talented rich legacy of song. Samara’s 94 year old grandfather was escorted on stage and preceded to amaze us with a heartfelt rendition of “It is well with My Soul”, which received a standing ovation. Antonio McClendon (Samara’s father), is a very accomplished vocalist & guitarist. This is my second time experiencing Samara Joy. The first was at NJPAC in June of this year. I thoroughly enjoyed both shows. Samara Joy, has a fan in me and the introduction to the McClendon family has me a fan of them as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the show.

I finally had the opportunity to see Samara Joy live and she is truly a joy to listen too. She is a young, new jazz singer with an "old soul". Her vocal abilities are phenomenal. She puts a bit of a unique spin on many old standards. Her small band is awesome as well consisting of a piano, bass trombone, trumpet and (I think) 2 sax players. One gentleman also plays the flute. Her live show does not compare with her recordings. I would recommend everyone (especially if you love music) see her, You won't be disappointed.

Totally in awe and admiration 😍 I’ve discovered @samarajoysings thanks to Spotify’s algorithm in 2021 when she released her first recording of ‘Everything Happens to Me’. I instantly fell in love with her voice and rendition. I eagerly waited for her first album release. I’m a fan since !! October 2022 she came to a bursting and over crowded @newmorningparis , where she blew my mind and sang live even beyond my expectations 😍. Last night I saw a 24 year old young woman of exceptional talent and professionalism singing 2 1/2 hours for the first time to a sold out Olympia in Paris. Ella, Sarah, Dinah, Billie must be extremely proud of her and Abbey too! The crowd went wild and I cried 🥲 … tears of joy and so much bursting emotion ❤️‍🔥. A big Kudos to her band too : Evan Sherman (drums), Connor Rohrer (piano), Michael Migliore (bass), Jason Charos (trumpet), David Mason (alto sax), Kendrick McCallister (tenor sax) and Donavan Austin (trombone). Samara Joy McLendon (born November 11, 1999) is an American jazz singer. She released her self-titled debut album in 2021 and was subsequently named Best New Artist by JazzTimes. Her second album, Linger Awhile(2022), reached number one on the BillboardJazz Albums chart. At the 2023 Grammy Awards, she won the awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist. Her 2023 single “Tight” won Best Jazz Performance at the following ceremony. . My clips don’t really do justice of the magnificent performance I’ve witnessed, I was too busy watching, listening and crying 🥲😁 … but I urge you to go and witness awesomeness if she travels near you … !!!!

This concert was a Christmas gift to my wife. She fell in love with Samara Joy's music and it was a no brainer to purchase tickets for her show, during the Christmas holiday. We thoroughly enjoyed the concert. My wife especially. It was a magnificent experience and the performance was flawless. And to meet her after the concert and fellowship with her briefly, was the icing on the cake. Thank you Ms. Samara Joy for a fantastic concert and Merry Christmas to you and your family.

I Went To The Show On Thursday 12/14/23 & Saw Samara Joy Sing Along With Her Family @ The Apollo Theatre. The Show Was Spectacular & Samara Has Grown Into This Awesome Artist With A Voice To The Nations . I Can Remember Samara Singing With The Choir @ The Church As A Teen & Sang With The Adult Choir With A Strong Voice & Vocals. I Am So Proud Of The Beautiful Young Woman She Has Developed Into With A Voice That Has Attracted All Ages & Allowed Her Peers To See That You Don’t Have To Fit In, Just Be Who You Are Called To Be. I Will Always Support Her . Thank You Samara Joy McClendon 🥰🤗😘

Samara Joy and the McLendon family gave a warm holiday and holy joy time for this holiday season. The night was filled with some tears, laughter, hollers from the crowd at the ears witness of some of the best singers on this side of heaven. It truly was a delightful time and I am hopeful that Samara Joy and/or family come back to perform in Austin soon! Also great job to the Bass Concert Hall staff for their service on tonight. Job well done!

The show was excellent and Samara is one of a kind. It was jazz mixed in with sounds of Christmas, which made a perfect combination for putting me in the holiday spirit. It lasted about an hour, but I could’ve stayed there and listened to Samara’s melodic voice all night. My only complaint is that there were a lot a people who came in well after the show had started. It was very disturbing as they were shining flashlights from cell phones as they stumbled and fumbled to find their seats in the dark. In general, there was just a lot distracting noise and movement around us. We were sitting in the balcony (aka nose bleed). Additionally, the two women beside me talked throughout the entire performance. Next time, I will purchase my tickets sooner and get seats on the floor. The theater etiquette in the balcony was amiss. I highly recommend the show.

I’d have given it TEN STARS if that was an option!! The Barbican was far easier to find that I worried about! When we got there, there was a band playing upstairs while we enjoyed a drink! The staff were very helpful getting us the the right room (there are numerous performance spaces at this venue!) The performance itself was sublime, I love her albums but LIVE Samara does more scatting and singing around the tune, playing with her voice, just phenomenal! After the show we even got to meet her and get an autograph! It was an all round FANTASTIC experience and I’m so glad I made the effort to come out!

The show was amazing! Samara was amazing! This was my first time at the Carpenter Center and I loved the venue. The ONLY reason I gave this four instead of five stars was because the sign language interpreter was very distracting. The audience came to see Samara and to have someone else on her stage was not appropriate. If there were any hearing-impaired people in the audience, there's no way they would have been able to see what the person was signing, especially if they were sitting in the rear of the auditorium. Also, Samara sang a song in Portuguese. The interpreter couldn't sign in Portuguese, so she just stood there through the whole song. I understand wanting to be inclusive, but this was not the way. Perhaps the Carpenter Center should utilize the electronic signage they use for the opera. This way, hearing-impaired persons can read the sign high above the stage. This would be far less intrusive, and the artist can have the entire stage for their performance.

Samara was awesome!!! Legend in the making. Venue was nice. A bit disorganized. First to arrive, but to park were directed to the furthest from the entrance. Once in, no direction at all to the prepaid BBQ. Which for 2 people was not a good meal, nor worth the price. Would have been better off buying fresh made Pizza. Seats were comfortable but sun was directly in our eyes for a majority of concert. Her performance was excellent, sound quality was great. Would attend another concert with the hopes that things improve since it was just the first time.

What we witnessed tonight, 😲 there are no words to describe this beautiful, 23 year old young lady except, BRILLIANT, PHENOMENAL, UNREAL, and her voice is anointed by God. Samara's range can not be described--it's CRAZY!!! All the beautiful jazz singers who came before her, Sara Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Betty Carter, Nancy Wilson and so many more--she embodies them all, it is UNBELIEVABLE. There are no limits to where Miss Joy's career is headed because she knows who and whose she is, she understands, without God, none of this is possible, and she is so humble. We were so honored to witness the incredible gift of Miss Samara Joy in such a beautiful, intimate venue, SFJAZZ Center. Wow!!!

I never saw Samara Joy because when you first notified me in February the show dates for April at the vanguard were already sold out. And annoyingly Bandsintown continued to send me emails to attend a sold out event. Then I attempted to get tickets to see this artist at a different venue immediately upon receiving notification from Bandsintown that new show was just added and that was sold out too. I have little faith in Bandsintown to see artist’s I follow. I am sure had I seen this show it would have been amazing so I give Samara Joy 5 stars and Bandsintown no stars!

VENUE - EXCELLENT ARTIST - BEYOND AMAZING My only issue was that I received an email notiifying me that Samara would be performing at your venue. I got the email at 4:02pm and I responded at 4:06pm with a reply that the both performances were sold out. However, something told me to call the box office and see if there was anything that they could do. I was offered to be placed on the waitlist. Two days later, I received a call offering me (2) barstool seats in the box area. I went ahead and took advantage. Although my view was obscured, i did enjoy the concert tremendously. I loved the meet and greet afterwards and the fact that you offered valet parking. GREAT EVENT!

OMG!!! What a voice and a presence!! Such range at such a young age is MINDBLOWING!! Only recently learned about her and I must say I RAN to get tickets when I saw she would be near! The family joining in made it so special and so RARE. Made me really miss my family, but also celebrate that I am also from a musical family. What “joy” she managed to bring to me in so many layers during this show! Definitely will be seeing her again!!! UPH was AMAZING!! Cant wait to visit again! Great first time experience!

Samara Joy has a staggeringly beautiful voice, and I was very excited to see her. I first came across her in my Facebook feed, performing Stardust. I looked forward to hearing that, and other material from the Great American songbook. T’was the night before Christmas (two nights before, actually), so it was reasonable to expect one or two Christmas songs. That wasn’t what we got. I’ll estimate that the performance was eighty percent Christmas material. And that simply wasn’t what I’d hoped to hear. Also, she brought out her family (father, two cousins and an uncle). They are a remarkably talented family, but again… not what I was there to see, especially as the family members were included in at least half of the performance. I hate writing anything negative about such an incredible talent (and again, her family members each had wonderful voices too), but if the intent was a Christmas show, it should have been promoted as such. If it was a performance by the family, promote it as such. The show I saw was a fine show; it was NOT the one I paid to see.

The setting was perfect for an intimate jazz performance. The autumn foliage at Wave Hill and our picnic lunch were perfect table settings before enjoying the performance. Samara Joy far exceeded our expectations. She has a sweet personality and poise that far exceeds her young age. And her pipes! Fantastic range and phrasing. This is jazz vocals at its very best. The trio was excellent and perfectly complimented Ms Joy’s singing. The mature audience was clearly well versed in jazz as we chatted about similar divas - Nancy Wilson, Carla Cook, Carmen McRae, Dianne Reeves, Cat Russell, Dinah Washington and of course, Ella. Ms Joy clearly has the potential to be mentioned in the same breath as the aforementioned. Jazz aficionado…… Richard Chu