‘Jazz adjacent’

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

When Sandpoint-raised Sam Tru opened for Gladys Knight at the Festival at Sandpoint in 2021, it was the realization of a dream she’s had for as long as she can remember.Now, Tru is back in her hometown to play a special show at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 15 at the Panida Little Theater.

The second in the “Speakeasy Series” of shows, Tru will play alongside the Alex Sjobeck Trio to bring her unique blend of jazz, soul, pop and R&B — or “jazz adjacent” as Tru calls it — to a more intimate audience. 

Tru’s roots are in Sandpoint, where her family goes back several generations, but she now lives and makes music in Boise.

Courtesy photos.

“There is a lot of music in [Boise], and I have been fortunate to … collaborate with a wide variety of incredible musicians,” Tru told the Reader. 

Along with her solo work, Tru has thrown in with a quasi-jazz trio called The Kindness as well as collaborated with the Boise Philharmonic Orchestra and Boise Cello Collective.

“All of these experiences have helped me grow as a musician and are incredibly inspiring,” she said. “I take what I learn from each of these experiences and put that toward the music I write.”

Tru has been hailed by critics for her unique hybrid jazz style — perfectly showcased on her 2020 album Cycle, which made the nominating ballot for the 2021 Grammy awards.

“I feel honored that my album was so well received,” she said. “Cycle was released in January of 2020, which wasn’t great timing.”

Downbeat Magazine wrote that the album “offers up a persistent theme of unrequited love, harmonies that entertain the ear, an excellent band and an Amy Winehouse-sounding mournfulness that overlays the eight tunes here.”

Tru’s plans to tour and promote her album went out the window after the pandemic set in, causing the album to stall despite great traction and critical acclaim.

“When I heard I was on the nominating ballot the next year it restored my faith in the record, and gave me more confidence to keep writing and continue to promote the album even years after it was released,” she said.

While her most recent show in Sandpoint was on the biggest stage in town — for a legend like Gladys Knight, no less — the Speakeasy Series takes place inside the Panida Little Theater, offering a more intimate experience.

“There seems to be a deeper connection with the audience in these settings,” she said.

Joining Tru onstage is the Alex Sjobeck Trio, which Tru connected with in Boise in 2019 through a mutual mentor. The pandemic put a hiatus on collaborations until recently, but Tru said Sjobeck is her “first call when I get a gig opportunity.” 

Joining Sjobeck on the piano will be bassist Josh Skinner and drummer Gabriel Mangione, all hailing from Boise.

“We have all known about one another for a while now, but this is our first opportunity to play together and we are absolutely loving it,” Tru said.

The show will feature original songs written by Tru and Sjobeck, as well as some arrangements of their favorite tunes, which Tru said will “encapsulate the ‘jazz adjacent’ genre.”

In the meantime, Tru said she’s excited to continue this tour and eventually record another album to follow up her successful Cycle.

“The goal is to record this year and release an EP in early 2025,” she said.