A Joyful Holiday

Last updated

A Joyful Holiday
Samara Joy - A Joyful Holiday.jpg
EP by
Samara Joy
ReleasedOctober 27, 2023 (2023-10-27)
VenueThe Regent Theater, Arlington, Massachusetts, US (live recording)
Studio
  • Sear Sound, New York City, New York US (main recording)
  • Rittenhouse SoundWorks, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US (additional recording)
Genre
Length24:25
LanguageEnglish
Label Verve
Producer Matt Peirson
Samara Joy chronology
Linger Awhile
(2022)		A Joyful Holiday
(2023)		 Portrait
(2024)

A Joyful Holiday is a 2023 extended play by American vocal jazz singer Samara Joy. It received a warm critical reception and earned the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. [3]

Contents

Reception

Editors at AllMusic rated this album 4 out of 5 stars, with critic Matt Collar writing that "Joy and her ensemble offer gorgeously rendered takes of [1950s standards]" and that the album is "rich with vibrant vocal harmonies that reflect the love Joy has for her family" and it "showcases just how virtuosic and steeped in experience she is as a singer". [2] Writing at The Arts Desk , Sebastian Scotney gave this release 4 out of 5 stars, noting the mix of classic jazz and Gospel music that Joy expresses. [4] Another 4 out of 5 stars came from Chris Pearson of The Times who stated that "this short but sweet mini-album puts that celestial sparkler at the top of the Christmas tree". [1]

Track listing

  1. "Warm in December" (Bob Russell) – 4:14
  2. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me" (Ron Miller and William O'Malley) – 4:02
  3. "The Christmas Song" (Mel Tormé and Robert Wells) – 3:26
  4. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin) – 3:46
  5. "O Holy Night" (Adolphe Adam) – 5:08
  6. "The Christmas Song" (live) (Tormé and Wells) – 3:53

Personnel

Release history

Release history and formats for A Joyful Holiday
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
VariousOctober 27, 2023
  • CD
  • vinyl LP
  • 12-inch EP
  • music download
  • streaming
Verve Records [5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Pearson, Chris (December 13, 2023). "Samara Joy: A Joyful Holiday review — have yourself a jazzy Christmas". Album Review. The Times . ISSN   0140-0460 . Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  2. 1 2 Collar, Matt (n.d.). "A Joyful Holiday – Samara Joy". AllMusic . RhythmOne . Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  3. ↑ Hipes, Patrick; Pederson, Erik (February 2, 2025). "Grammy Awards Winners: Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, St. Vincent, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX Score Early Trophies". Deadline. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  4. ↑ Scotney, Sebastian (December 9, 2023). "Album: Samara Joy – A Joyful Holiday". Reviews, News, & Interviews. The Arts Desk . Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  5. ↑ Joy, Samara (October 27, 2023). "A Joyful Holiday (Liner Notes)". Verve Records . Worldwide. 602458285697 (United States LP); 00602458321197 (Worldwide LP); 00602458285697 (Netherlands LP); 00602458285680, A0103460050-0101 (European CD); 602458285680/1243675 (United States CD); 602458285697/280914442 (United States 12" EP stereo).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.