UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Samara Joy, rising jazz songstress with gospel genes, will make her Happy Valley debut a family affair. The three-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist will perform her third annual “A Joyful Holiday” featuring the McLendon Family in concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, in Eisenhower Auditorium.

Joy was praised by The New York Times for “helping jazz take a youthful turn,” and NPR’s “All Things Considered” named her a “classic jazz singer from a new generation.”

Call 814-863-0255 or visit Samara Joy online for more information about the performance and "The Joyfull Jazz Edition," a free community engagement event.

“A Joyful Holiday” will feature a festive mix of sacred and secular with selections from her 2024 EP “A Joyful Holiday” (Verve Records), such as “O Holy Night” and “The Christmas Song,” along with several gospel-inspired seasonal favorites.

She will perform with members of her musical family, including father Antonio McLendon, with a backing group featuring Shedrick Mitchell on piano, Eric Wheeler on bass and Charles Haynes on drums.

“A Joyful Holiday” could prove to be an historic Penn State performance: “She now joins the elitist club of musicians who have received the grammy for Best New Artist, including Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, Amy Winehouse, Norah Jones and Lauryn Hill …,” said a reporter for Numéro.com after Joy won the Best New Artist Grammy in 2023.

The Joyfull Jazz Edition

Join the Center for the Performing Arts for The Joyfull Jazz Edition, at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, in Heritage Hall of the HUB-Robeson Center, to make meaningful connections and leave with full bellies and full hearts.

When our bodies are hungry, we need to eat. But when our souls are hungry, we crave a different kind of nourishment. Just like food, art comes from many forms, cultural backgrounds, and histories. At each Joyfull, we welcome all to come and enjoy a meal, live performance and conversation.

Free sustainable utensil sets will be given to first-time attendees while supplies last. Help us reduce waste by bringing them with you to use at each Joyfull.

The event is free, but registration is required. Visit The Joyfull online for more info and to register.

For more information about the season, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online, Facebook and Instagram.

Acknowledgments

This event is sponsored by Patricia Best and Thomas Ray, with support provided by John L. Brown Jr. and Marlynn Steele Sidehamer Endowment and the McQuaide Blasko Endowment. Accessibility services are supported by William E. McTurk Endowment for Program Support. Support for The Joyfull events is provided by Dick Brown and Sandy Zaremba; and the Penn State Equal Opportunity Planning Committee in The Office for the Vice Provost for Educational Equity. A grant from the University Park Fee Board makes student prices possible.