Samara Joy coming to Raleigh’s Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts For One Night Only – June 5
Tickets go on sale Friday, November 15 at 10am
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 11, 2024
Samara Joy Coming To Raleigh’s Martin Marietta Center For The Performing Arts For One Night Only – June 5
Tickets go on sale Friday, November 15 at 10am
(Raleigh, NC) – Presented by WNCU, Grammy Award winning jazz singer Samara Joy is heading to a stage near you! Hear hits from “Portrait” when she makes a stop in Raleigh at the Martin Marietta Center on June 5 at 7:30 PM. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 15 at 10 AM. Tickets can be purchased at the venue box office and martinmariettacenter.com.
A native of the Bronx, Samara Joy became entranced by classic R&B as a child and cut her teeth as a singer in her church’s gospel choir. And while her family history is deeply musical—her grandparents helmed the Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes, and her father, the musician and songwriter Antonio McLendon, has produced, composed and arranged his own astounding original work—she didn’t delve into the jazz tradition until college at SUNY Purchase. During her studies there she won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which introduced her to the larger jazz scene as a rising star to watch. She was heard, by audiences and critics alike, as a masterful interpreter of jazz standards and a rightful heiress of the sound, technique and charisma that defined her jazz heroines—including Vaughan, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln and Carmen McRae. Joy released her self-titled debut on the Whirlwind label in 2021, followed a year later by Linger Awhile, her breakout Verve debut, of which DownBeat said, “With this beautiful recording, a silky-voiced star is born.” The album earned her a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album in addition to a headline-making win for Best New Artist. A deluxe edition of the album was released, as well as the EPA Joyful Holiday. Her new Verve album, Portrait, which Joy co-produced with the veteran trumpeter/bandleader and multi-Grammy winner Brian Lynch, showcases the intimate, soulful chemistry she’s developed with her touring band. Portrait also spotlights her burgeoning gifts as a lyricist, in ingenious arrangements that meld her thoughtful words with music by Charles Mingus, Sun Ra and her late mentor Barry Harris.
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About Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts
The Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts is the premier location for cultural arts and entertainment in Raleigh. The center is comprised of four unique venues, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, Meymandi Concert Hall, A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater, and Kennedy Theatre. The Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts plays host to national tours, performers, and is also home to four resident companies: Carolina Ballet, NC Opera, NC Symphony, and PineCone. Hosting over 600 events each year and welcoming over 400,000 guests, the Martin Marietta Center is a cultural focal point in downtown Raleigh.
Tour Press Contact:
Cassidy Sullivan
csullivan@innovationae.com
Venue Press Contact:
Sarah McAlister
919.996.8719
sarah.mcalister@raleighnc.gov