Linger Awhile is the second studio album by American jazz singer Samara Joy, 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.[1]

Linger Awhile
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 16, 2022 (2022-09-16)
StudioSear Sound, New York City, US
GenreJazz
Length41:14
LabelVerve
ProducerMatt Pierson
Samara Joy chronology
Samara Joy
(2021)
Linger Awhile
(2022)
A Joyful Holiday
(2023)

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.[2]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz     [3]
Jazzwise     [4]

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".[4] 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".[5]

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.[3]

Track listing

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Linger Awhile track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Can't Get Out of This Mood"
3:42
2."Guess Who I Saw Today"
4:09
3."Nostalgia (The Day I Knew)"3:30
4."Sweet Pumpkin" (featuring Pasquale Grasso)Ronnell Bright3:54
5."Misty"4:54
6."Social Call"4:30
7."I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)"
5:04
8."Linger Awhile" (featuring Pasquale Grasso)1:47
9."'Round Midnight"5:42
10."Someone to Watch Over Me" (featuring Pasquale Grasso)4:02
Total length:41:14

Personnel

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  • 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

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Chart performance for Linger Awhile
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australian Jazz & Blues Albums (ARIA)[6] 4
French Albums (SNEP)[7] 180
French Jazz Albums (SNEP)[8] 2
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[9] 26
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[10] 38
Scottish Albums (OCC)[11] 78
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 37
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[13] 14
UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[14] 1
US Billboard 200[15] 158
US Jazz Albums (Billboard)[16] 1

References

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  1. ^ Miller, Michelle (February 7, 2023). "Samara Joy won Best New Artist at the Grammys. Here's how she got there". CBS News. Retrieved February 15, 2023 – via Yahoo! News.
  2. ^ Caulfield, Keith (February 13, 2023). "Samara Joy's 'Linger Awhile' Hits No. 1 on Multiple Billboard Charts After Best New Artist Grammy Win". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Leonardi, Angelo (September 19, 2022). "Samara Joy: Linger Awhile album review". All About Jazz (in Italian). Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Quinn, Peter. "Samara Joy: Linger Awhile". Jazzwise. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  5. ^ Johnson, Veronica (October 20, 2022). "Samara Joy: Linger Awhile (Verve)". JazzTimes. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  6. ^ "ARIA Top 20 Jazz & Blues Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  7. ^ "Top Albums (Week 13, 2023)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  8. ^ "Top Albums Jazz (Week 11, 2023)". SNEP. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  9. ^ オリコン週間 デジタルアルバムランキング 2023年02月06日~2023年02月12日 21~30位 [Oricon Weekly Digital Album Ranking February 6, 2023 – February 12, 2023] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  10. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums: 2023/04/12 公開". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  11. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  12. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Samara Joy – Linger Awhile". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  13. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  14. ^ "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  15. ^ "Billboard 200: Week of February 18, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  16. ^ "Jazz Albums: Week of February 18, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2023.