At the cusp of dusk on Oct. 18, three-time Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Samara Joy sang at the University of Georgia’s Performing Arts Center.
The night began with a performance by the instrumental ensemble, who came to a trilling stop when Joy, captured by the spotlight’s glow, centered herself in front of the cheering audience. Gently drawing the audience to a hush with a low swoop of her hands, she launched into a cover of Charles Mingus’ “Reincarnation of a Lovebird,” the second track on her new album, “Portrait.”
“Portrait” was released exactly a week before Joy’s performance in Athens.
Nate Chinen, editorial director of WRTI 90.1, said that he finds Joy dynamic and powerful.
“It’s not every day that you have someone her [Joy’s] age and her temperament who is dealing with the music at such a high level,” Chinen said.
Joy ended her opening song with a rich cadenza, after which she thanked the audience and welcomed them to “a lovely night of music.”
Melanie McLain, who graduated from the UGA School of Social Work, said she was excited to be at the concert, as her parents raised her brother Terrance and herself on jazz music.
“It’s great that the Performing Arts Center can get these types of artists out here,” Melanie McLain said. ”Just being able to say my university is supporting these types of musicians and bringing this to everybody here to experience is wonderful.”
During the solos within each song, the spotlights shifted from Joy to each ensemble member, moodily lighting them as they improvised musical lines. Joy would tuck herself to the side of the ensemble or the stage itself while the group created new melodies.
“It’s not just that she has a dynamic stage presence, but she’s also really thinking about how she can serve the music and serve her fellow musicians,” Chinen said.
Further into the concert, Joy altered a lyric during her cover of Frank Sinatra’s “Day By Day,” singing “I’m falling more and more in love with Georgia” while playfully raising a smile over her shoulder and earning delighted cheers from the audience.
Each song in Joy’s performance began with her giving a short anecdote or explaining the musical intentions behind the piece. The songs acted as wordless visualizations of a rich story that advanced with each stage of the complex chord progressions.
Terrance McLain traveled to Athens to see the show with his sister Melanie McLain, an Athens local.
“It’s exciting to be here, to see someone performing with her level of caliber of music,” Terrance McLain said.
Joy sang songs from her albums and compositions written by the musicians playing alongside her, as well as “Worry Later” by jazz composer and performer Thelonious Monk.
“I hope that her coming in and just being who she is encourages and activates some real enthusiasm for the music,” Chinen said. “Not just for her, but for the jazz tradition that she so beautifully upholds and celebrates.”