IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to the potential for inclement weather, Samara Joy’s performance on Sunday, February 15 will now be taking place at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall.
Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
1050 A1A N
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Doors: 6:00 PM | Show: 8:00 PM
All tickets previously purchased for the performance at Fort Mose Historic State Park will be honored. Digital tickets will be automatically updated with new seat assignments that most closely align with the original purchase location.Onsite parking is available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. For those unable to attend due to the venue change, refunds will be available by emailing ticketing@theamp.com or by calling AXS at 1-888-929-7849.
While we’re disappointed not to close out this year’s Jazz & Blues Series at Fort Mose Historic State Park, we’re looking forward to welcoming you to our newly renovated Concert Hall for an up-close performance with Samara. The space was designed with strong acoustics and clear sightlines to support an intimate listening experience. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
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 defned 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 Down Beat 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 EP A Joyful Holiday, which took home Grammys for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Jazz Performance in 2025. 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, already earning her an NAACP Image Award this year for Best Jazz Album. 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.