Portrait by Samara Joy is a holiday gift for those who enjoy singers. She is a jazz vocalist of different genres, with her foundation evolving from great vocalists like Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, and Carmen McCrae just to name a few. This wonderful collection was produced by her and Brian Lynch, a seasoned jazz trumpeter.

Samara Joy came onto the scene when she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which is open to solo singers who had not signed a major record contract. Then by 2022 just a year and a half out of college, after the release of her album Linger Awhile, she gained recognition as Grammy’s “Best New Artist”.

Portrait is her third album and carries a couple of old-school jazz standards. And this Grammy Award winner has consciously stepped out of her comfort zone as a lyricist and band leader. Listening to Portrait several times, and watching the visuals of her performances on YouTube is an experience traveling from one songscape and genre to another. It’s like there are different musical personas represented in each song! Samara can go from sultry to operatic with vocal ranges that dig deep in the diaphragm and then next thing you know she’s singing toward the mountain top.

In "Reincarnation of a Lovebird (Pursuit of a Dream)", she opens a cappella before the band joins in with saxophonist Kendric McCallister's arrangements. Wow...

She wrote the lyrics for the song “Now And Then (In Remembrance Of…)” which was composed by the late pianist Barry Harris. She explains on Instagram, “I wrote lyrics to this tune in honor of all the mentors who continue to inspire me, even though they’re no longer here. Arranged by @kendricmcc [Kendrick McCallister], this one’s for all the giants in our lives who teach us what it means to be fully committed to being the best artist and person one can be. Quincy Jones, Lou Donaldson, Roy Haynes, Barry Harris, the list goes on.”
I enjoyed “No More Blues” because it was so disarming. Should I have expected a blues? Come to discover this was a lively nostalgic ride presented in a Latin-samba groove that was composed by Brazilian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim, and that was accompanied by English lyrics written by Jon Hendricks and music publisher Howard S. Richmond under the pseudonym "Jessie Cavanaugh”.
“Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come True” seems to be the song that has attracted a lot of attention. This song centers around hope which she wrote dedicated to a long-haul artistic expedition; and also to serve as an inspiration to her listeners to “[pursue] dreams best to your ability” Here’s a sample of the lyrics:

Where do you find
Your peace of mind
Is it in the places you go
Or the people you meet
In time you will read your lies
Oh, things will change
But does your peace of mind remain

But don't, don't ever lose hope
Just remember, don't
Sometimes you feel like giving up
Oh, don't ever lose hope

Samara Joy McLendon is 25 years old, and she has arrived on the scene boldly with a calling to practice and elevate her art with a firm unpretentious footing. She is cognizant of the dizzying pressures and expectations people unfairly (most likely) have on her ability to revitalize a musical genre. I noted one commentary saying her impressive emergence on the scene has “saved jazz”. That’s a heavy burden. Musically, she has pried open the doors through old-school jazz vocals. More importantly, we should look forward to and expect her yet-to-be-written musical evolutions to bring joy to many and impact other genres on professional and artistic levels.

I could go on and on... Get Portrait by Samara Joy for the holidays or any day!

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