A native of the Bronx, Samara Joy became entranced by classic R&B as a child and cuther teeth as a singer in her church’s gospel choir. And while her family history is deeplymusical—her grandparents helmed the Philadelphia gospel group the Savettes, andher father, the musician and songwriter Antonio McLendon, has produced, composedand arranged his own astounding original work—she didn’t delve into the jazz traditionuntil college at SUNY Purchase. During her studies there she won the 2019 SarahVaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, which introduced her to the larger jazzscene as a rising star to watch. She was heard, by audiences and critics alike, as amasterful interpreter of jazz standards and a rightful heiress of the sound, technique andcharisma that defined her jazz heroines—including Vaughan, Betty Carter, AbbeyLincoln and Carmen McRae.
Joy released her self-titled debut on the Whirlwind label in 2021, followed a year later byLinger Awhile, her breakout Verve debut, of whichDownBeatsaid, “With this beautifulrecording, a silky-voiced star is born.” The album earned her a Grammy for Best JazzVocal Album in addition to a headline-making win for Best New Artist. A deluxe editionof 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’sdeveloped with her touring band.Portraitalso spotlights her burgeoning gifts as alyricist, in ingenious arrangements that meld her thoughtful words with music by CharlesMingus, Sun Ra and her late mentor Barry Harris
Venue Information
Belk Theater
Belk Theater features state-of-the-art equipment, production and support capabilities and can host any event, from grand opera to rock to corporate annual meetings and lectures.
The theater features a contemporary European horseshoe arrangement for an intimate atmosphere and world-class acoustics. The most distant seat is less than 135 feet from the stage.
A hallmark of the theater’s design is some 2,400 “points of light” in the audience chamber, part of a dazzling fiber optic network with multi-color capabilities.
Renowned architect Cesar Pelli designed the Performing Arts Center, which opened in 1992, as well as the adjacent Bank of America Corporate Center and Founders Hall. The Center’s name honors the contributions of the people of the state of North Carolina as well as the generosity of the Blumenthal Foundation, the largest private donor to the capital campaign.
