Linger Awhile is the second studio album by American jazz singer Samara Joy. The title track is the perennial jazz and pop tune from 1923 by Vincent Rose and Harry Owens. The album was released on September 16, 2022, through Verve Records. It was produced by Matt Pierson. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album and was responsible for Joy also winning Best New Artist at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
Following Joy's wins, the album reached number 158 on the US Billboard 200 and reached number one on the Jazz Albums chart with 8,500 album-equivalent units.
Critical reception
Peter Moore of Jazzwise called Linger Awhile a "staggeringly fine album", noting "Guess Who I Saw Today" as a standout, and remarked on the "outstanding support from guitarist Pasquale Grasso, pianist Ben Paterson, bassist David Wong and drummer Kenny Washington" on the title track. Moore also called Joy's version of "'Round Midnight" a "wondrous take" and praised the "incredibly beautiful timbre" of her voice on "Someone to Watch Over Me". Veronica Johnson of JazzTimes found "much to be admired" and a "musical maturation" on the album, writing that it is a "nostalgic stroll through well-known and obscure standards" with a "mixing of swing and sweet tunes", complimenting "the romantic feel [Joy] infuses into songs".
Angelo Leonardi of All About Jazz commended Joy's partnership with guitarist Pasquale Grasso, opining that it is "inspiring" and "stands out" on "Someone to Watch Over Me", and felt that Joy "confirms all the good things that have been said about her: unusual interpretative maturity for her age, fresh chromatic variety, creative flair, [and] intense feeling", naming Linger Awhile album of the week.
Track listing
Personnel Samara Joy – vocals Chris Allen – recording, mixing Sampson Alvarado – recording assistance Donovan Austin – trombone Will Bennett – recording assistance Pasquale Grasso – guitar Kendric McCallister – tenor saxophone, arrangements Ben Paterson – piano Matt Pierson – producer Ryan Rogers – creative direction, design Terell Stafford – trumpet, flugelhorn Meredith Truax – photography Kenny Washington – drums David Wong – double bass Mark Wilder – mastering
Charts + Chart performance for Linger Awhile Chart (2023) Peakposition Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA) 4 French Jazz Albums (SNEP) 2 Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon) 26 Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan) 38 US Billboard 200 158 US Jazz Albums (Billboard) 1
Release history + Release history and formats for Linger Awhile Region Date Format Label Ref. United States September 16, 2022 Verve Records Various
References