WINNER, JAZZ VOCALIST SAMARA JOY IS UP FOR TWO MORE GRAMMYS AT SUNDAY'S AWARDS CEREMONY, WHILE HER LATEST ALBUM IS RECEIVING CRITICAL ACCLAIM AND CREATING MORE AWARDS BUZZ.

ALL THAT AND SHE IS ONLY 25 YEARS OLD.

SENIOR ARTS CORRESPONDENT JEFFREY BROWN HAS MORE FOR OUR ARTS AND CULTURE SERIES, CANVAS.

♪ >> ♪ YOU STEPPED OUT OF A DREAM ♪ JEFF: SAMARA JOY SINGING A JAZZ STANDARD "YOU STEPPED OUT OF A DREAM."

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF LEGENDS LIKE DIZZY GILLESPIE AND JOHN COLE TRAIN, THE BRONX NATIVE RECORDED IN INGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NEW JERSEY.

>> ♪ I WANT TO TAKE YOU AWAY ♪ JEFF: EARLIER THIS MONTH SHE RETURNED TO TALK ABOUT HER METEORIC RISE, SURPRISING SINCE HER INTRODUCTION TO JAZZ CAME IN 2017 WHEN AS A HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR SHE WAS INVITED TO SIT IN ON A JAZZ PRACTICE.

SOON SHE WAS LISTENING TO ELLA FITZGERALD AND SARAH VAUGHN.

WHAT GRABBED YOU?

SAMARA: THE PURE EMOTION COMBINED WITH TECHNICAL PROWESS OF ALL THE MUSICIANS AND THE CREATIVITY AND SEEMINGLY NEVER-ENDING IDEAS.

JEFF: YOU HEARD THAT AND THOUGHT?

SAMARA: MAYBE I COULD DO THIS.

I WILL GIVE IT A TRY.

JEFF: HOOKED, JOY ENROLLED IN THE STATE PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT PURCHASE.

BY 2019, HER PROFESSORS WERE SO IMPRESSED WITH HER ABUNDANT TALENT, THEY ENCOURAGED HER TO ENTER THE COVETED SARAH VON LOCAL JAZZ COMPETITION.

SHE WON AND USED THE PRIZE MONEY TO FINANCE THE RECORDING OF HER DEBUT ALBUM SAMARA JOY IN 2020.

A YEAR LATER SHE LEVERAGED VIDEOS OF HER PERFORMING GOING VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO EMBARK ON A FIRST EUROPEAN TOUR.

>> ♪ DID YOU MISS YOUR TRAIN WERE YOU CAUGHT IN THE RAIN ♪ JEFF: HER SECOND ALBUM ANGER A WHILE WAS A CRITICAL AND COMMERCIAL SUCCESS.

IN FEBRUARY 2023, JOY TOOK HOME TWO GRAMMYS FOR BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM AND BEST ARTIST.

A BIG WIN FOR THE JAZZ COMMUNITY.

SAMARA: I HAVE BEEN SINGING ALL MY LIFE, MY GRANDPARENTS, MY FATHER.

>> IT HELPS US TO KNOW WHAT TO SAY IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.

SAMARA: ITS ROOTS STEMMED FROM A THREE GENERATION FAMILY TRADITION OF EXPRESSING DEEP CHRISTIAN FAITH THROUGH GOSPEL MUSIC.

HER GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDFATHER STARTED THE FAMILY TRADITION SINGING IN THE PHILADELPHIA GOSPEL GROUP.

HER FATHER, WHO WE MET AT THE FAMILY'S FAVORITE BRONX RESTAURANT, IS A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN WHO HAS PERFORMED IN FRONT OF AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD.

HE TOURED FOR MANY YEARS WITH A GOSPEL STAR.

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE SEEING YOUR DAUGHTER RISE LIKE THIS?

>> IT IS THE ESSENCE OF WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF.

I OFTEN GO BETWEEN TEARS AND SMILES WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT, HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HER PERFORM.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING ABOUT HER PERFORMANCE.

JEFF: HIS DAUGHTER HAS GROWN MORE COME TO BOWL INCORPORATING GOSPEL ROOTS INTO HER JAZZ SOUND.

SAMARA: WHEN I WAS FIRST STARTING TO LISTEN TO JAZZ, BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY GENRE I WAS LISTENING TO, I FELT I DID NOT APPLY AS MUCH OF WHAT I LEARNED GROWING UP TO THAT.

JEFF: YOU ARE TREATING IT AS SOMETHING NEW?

SAMARA: YEAH.

AND I FELT I ALREADY HAD A GRASP ON IT.

JAZZ WAS THE THING I HAD NOT BEEN EXPOSED TO.

NOW I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A GRASP ON BOTH AND IT DOES NOT SEEM FAKE OR LIKE I'M DOING IT BECAUSE I CAN, BUT BECAUSE IT IS MEANT FOR SOMETHING, TO EXPRESS A CERTAIN STORY.

JEFF: A STORY JOY SHARED IN THE RELIEF -- RELEASE OF HER CHRISTMAS EP, A JOYFUL HOLIDAY.

FIVE STANDARDS AND A CHRISTMAS CAROL RECORDED BY JOY AND FAMILY MEMBERS.

SOME EVEN JOINED HER ON A NATIONAL TOUR IN DECEMBER.

YOU ARE NOT ONLY SEEING HER.

>> HOW COOL IS THAT?

SINGING IS WHAT A MCCLENDON IS BORN TO DO.

IT IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF.

JEFF: AS WELL AS FULFILLING A MCCLENDON FAMILY DREAM, THE ALBUM GARNERED TWO MORE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS FOR BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM AND BEST JAZZ PERFORMANCE.

WHILE ALSO INTRODUCING JOY TO AN EVEN WIDER AUDIENCE.

>> THERE ARE PEOPLE SAYING, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME GOING TO A JAZZ CONCERT IN LIFE.

YOU ARE MY FIRST AND I SAW YOU ON TIKTOK.

SOME PARENTS SAY, MY KIDS INTRODUCED ME TO YOU, AND I'M A FAN.

I'VE NEVER BEEN INTO JAZZ, EVER.

JEFF: SOME OF THE SONGS ON HER NEW ALBUM, PORTRAIT.

SAMARA: ♪ TIME AND TIME AGAIN ♪ JEFF: YOU ARE WRITING MORE LYRICS, MUSIC, WHY?

SAMARA: BECAUSE I WANT TO.

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

DIZZY, MILES, ALL THESE WONDERFUL MUSICIANS WERE VERY YOUNG WHEN THEY STARTED TO CONTRIBUTE SO BY THE TIME THEY GOT TO THEIR 30'S AND 40'S THEY WERE SURE AND ESTABLISHED IN THEIR SOUND.

I WANT TO PUT MY BEST EFFORT FORWARD TO FIGURING OUT WHAT IT IS I LOVE ABOUT IT AND HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER, SO 20, 30 YEARS DOWN THE LINE, I HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF MY WRITING AND COMPOSITION STYLE.

BUT THE CRAFTING OF IT STARTS NOW.

JEFF: IT IS NICE TO THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS SITTING HERE, IN THE PLACE WHERE SOME OF IT HAPPENED.

SAMARA: YEAH.

AND TO RECORD AND HERE WAS A DREAM.

JEFF: ALL THIS IS STILL NEW TO YOU, THE ATTENTION?

IT HAS BEEN FAST, RIGHT?

SAMARA: FASTER THAN I EVER IMAGINED.

JEFF: YOU ARE SURPRISED?

SAMARA: YES.

I KNEW I LOVED TO SING.

I KNEW MY FAMILY HAD A BEAUTIFUL LEGACY OF MUSIC, BUT I NEVER KNEW WHERE IT WOULD TAKE ME.

JEFF: SHE BEGINS A FIVE-MONTH WORLD TOUR IN FEBRUARY INCLUDING A DEBUT AT CARNEGIE HALL ON APRIL 30.

FOR THE PBS NEWS HOUR, I'M JEFFREY