Welcome back to Crate Digging, our recurring feature that delves into music history to find various albums every music fan should know about. In this edition, Grammy-winning vocalist Samara Joy offers us the perfect autumn jazz itinerary.
“Winning a Grammy was not on my lifetime bingo card, and winning three was completely unexpected,” says Samara Joy, who took home the trophy for Best New Artist in 2023 before winning two more awards at the ceremony. 2024. In the wake of what she calls “Grammy hoopla,” her new album began to take shape organically. That third LP, Portraitarrives on Friday, October 11.
“I took my time deciding what to do next and not trying to rush into chasing any kind of relevance or momentum,” he says. Consequence on Zoom, speaking from his apartment in Harlem. “I wanted to focus on the music and offer something substantial and be a substantial artist, and that only comes from spending time doing what you love.”
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And for Samara Joy, what she loves is jazz. Although he comes from a family of musicians and grew up listening to classics, he didn't fully immerse himself in the genre until his freshman year of college. Something changed when he started spending more time with people like Sarah Vaughan, whose music he cites as one of his essential choices that also specifically influenced the making of Portrait.
Listen to “Autumn Nocturne” by Portrait below, and read on to learn the 10 albums Joy selected as the backdrop for the perfect fall day.
Esperanza Spalding— Radio Music Society
I feel like this album could have been my introduction to jazz without me knowing it because I remember, very vividly, singing when I was in middle school or the beginning of high school. My dad played this record all the time, and now that I listen to it, as an adult, I think, “Oh my God, this is such a beautiful representation of Esperanza's version of jazz, on her own.” original music, about its roots in classical music.” But as a kid, I was really like, “Oh my God, I love his voice,” and that's still true to this day.
Radio Music Society: stream | Buy
João Gilbert— Loving
This is something different; It's more on the Brazilian side of bossa nova, but I love the combination of João Gilberto's voice (how sensitive he is) combined with these beautiful orchestrations by Claus Ogerman. It's not just about standards, but about bossa nova music. I feel like it's a perfect combination for you to enjoy fall in the best way possible.
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