Leïla Olivesi wins the Django

French pianist, composer and bandleader the Normandy born Leïla Olivesi has been announced as the winner of the French Academy of Jazz award the prix Django Reinhardt - a Django event held at Paris venue Pan Piper as reported by Radio France over the weekend. Of Mauritanian, Corsican and Moroccan lineage Olivesi's album Astral (ACEL) released last November is partially themed around the poetry of Lucie Taïeb and includes a version of Mary Lou Williams' 'Scorpio.' Leïla Olivesi, photo: detail from the Astral cover art.

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Track of the week is a just released duo version of Guess Who I Saw Today new from singer Samara Joy and pianist Gerald Clayon.

Bronx singer Joy's Linger Awhile catapulted the American into a new league of her own having made a splash in 2021 when she was on Whirlwind.

We reckoned then and see her still as the first highly retro singer of the classic calibre of Cécile McLorin Salvant and Jazzmeia Horn to come along in a while emerging from the US scene to connect with international audiences. In terms of style think a Dianne Reeves with a hearty dash of Sarah Vaughan within the recipe of Joyousness recalibrated for the 2020s. The song itself is an Elisse Boyd and Murray Grand number rendered à-la-Nancy Wilson on Something Wonderful (Capitol, 1960).

Samara Joy, photo: detail from the Linger Awhile cover

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Samara Joy, photo: detail from the Linger Awhile cover