Sam Newsome

Soprano Saxophonist

Improviser
Solo Performer

Sound Enthusiast

High Zero Festival: September 19 - 22, 2024

Fall River Noise Fest II: September 28, 2024

NEW Releases

Solo: Live at the Catalytic Sound Festival

Cosmic Unconsciousness Unplugged

" Extremely talented instrumentalists and excellent improvisers" - All About Jazz

"...he (Sam Newsome) improvises ferociously" - DownBeat

"...a special chemistry that has taken them in the new directions." - New York City Record

"The combined technical skill, imagination and close listening of the partnership makes their completely free work absorbing." - Jazz Wise

Soprano-Logues

"Soprano-logues, is a daring, captivating work, and one of the most refreshing and imaginative albums of the past few years." - New York City Jazz Record.

2024 Concert Dates

January 30, 2024

Out Music Festival/Theater for the City of New York

Michael TA Thompson Trio

Sam Newsome, soprano

Michael Foster, saxes

Michael TA Thompson, drums and percussion

155 1st Ave.

New York, NY 10003

February 15, 2024

Mezzrow

Sam Newsome/Jean-Michel Pilc Duo

163 W 10th St, New York, NY

10014

February 24, 2024

Never Ending Books

Caleb Duval

Hartford, Conn

Wednesday March 6, 2024

Christine Correa Tour

House Concert

Bar Harbor, Maine

Thursday March 7, 2024

Christine Correa Tour

Emery Arts Space

Farmington, Maine

Friday, March 8, 2024

Christine Correa Tour

Dance Hall

Kittery, Maine

Saturday March 9, 2024

Christine Correa Tour

Portland Conservatory of Music

Portland, Maine

Sunday March 10, 2024

Christine Correa Tour

Next Stage Arts

Putney, Vermont

March 17, 2024

Real Art Ways

Joe Morris

Taylor Ho Bynum

Francisco Mela

Sam Newsome

56 Arbor St

Hartford, CT

April 10, 2024

Duke University Residency

Q&A in a class for non music majors (class is called Giants of Jazz)

Duke Jazz Ensemble Rehearsal

Attend campus jam session

April 11, 2024

Duke University Residency

Coaching session with jazz combo students from North Carolina Central University

Duke Jazz Ensemble Rehearsal

Friday, April 10 - April 12, 2024

Duke University Residency

Interview at WNCU Radio Station

Concert with the Duke Jazz Ensemble (Baldwin Auditorium)

Saturday, April 20, 2024

PAL 8: Figure 8 Recording Studio Concert

Eli Wallace/Sam Newsome Duo

Steve Long/Do Yeong Kim

Michael Coleman

8:00 PM

188 Underhill Ave.

Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Elysium Furnace Works Series

Fay Victor & SoundNoise Funk

w/Joe Morris and Reggie Nicholson
VBI Theatre of Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center

12 Vassar Street

Poughkeepsie, NY

Thursday, May 2, 2024

Adam Kloker/Sam Newsome

Bar Bayeux

Brooklyn, NY

May 9, 2024

Lily Pad

Eric Rosenthal Group

Sam Newsome, soprano sax

Pandelis Karayorgis, piano

Brittany Karlson, bass

Eric Rosenthal, drums

1353 Cambridge St

Cambridge, MA

02139

May 10 & 11, 2024

Diese Onze Live Jazz Bar

Jean Michel Pilc Trio featuring Sam Newsome

Jean-Michel Pilc, piano

Ira Coleman, bass

Rich Irwin, drums

4115 Saint Denis St

Montreal

May 19, 2024

Synagogue in Nashville, Tennesse (TBA)

The Global Unity Project

Meg Okura, violin

Sam Newsome, soprano sax

Yotam Yoshay, piano

Youngchae Jeong, bass

Nashville, Tennessee Synagogue (TBA)

June 13, 2024

iBEAM

The Instrumental Underground curated by Ken Kobayabashi

8:00PM- 10:00 PM

168 7th Street

Brooklyn, NY

June 15, 2024

New Works for Wind Ensemble

"Concerto for Soprano Saxophone and Devices"

Composed and Conducted by Ben Stapp

Featuring

Sam Newsome, soprano saxophone and devices

T.S. Wind Ensemble

Shapeshifter Plus

837 Union Street

Brooklyn, NY

7:00 PM

June 23, 2024

The PIT

Michael TA Thompson Freedom Trio

Sam Newsome, soprano sax

Michael Foster, saxophones

Michael TA Thompson, drums and compositions

411 South 5th Street

Brooklyn, NY

June 26, 2024

The Melting Pot Jazz Series. Celebrating the Immigrants' Influence on American Jazz.

Special guest with the Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble

On the lawn at:

St. Frances Cabrini Shrine

701 Ft. Washington Ave.

FREE

June 28, 2024

An Die Musik Live

409 N Charles Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

June 29, 2024

Sam Newsome & Max Johnson Duo

6950 Maple St

NW, Washington, DC

20012

June 29, 2024

Rhizome DC

Sam Newsome & Max Johnson Duo

6950 Maple St

NW, Washington, DC

20012

June 30, 2024

Fire Museum Presents

Sam Newsome & Max Johnson Duo

MAA Building

1325 N Randolph St.

Philadelphia, PA

July 11 - 14, 2024

Smoke Jazz Club

Ethan Iverson Septet

Jonathan Finlayson – trumpet
Sam Newsome- soprano saxophone
Jacob Garchik – trombone
Ethan Iverson – piano
Peter Washington – bass
Kush Abadey – drums

2751 Broadway

New York, NY

August 3, 2024

Glen Falls House

Notice Recordings Series

Sam Newsome, solo sax

Other performers TBA

230 Winter Clove Rd

Round Top, NY

Time (TBA)

September 8, 2024

InGarden Series/Arts for Art

Sam Newsome Trio

Sam Newsome

Brandon Lopez

Nick Neuburg

1st Street Garden

Showtime TBA

September 19 - 22, 2024

The 26th High Zero Festival of Experimental Improvised Music

Sam Newsome,

Ishmael Ali, cello,
Titania Berti, violin
Thomas Florin, piano
Putu Tangkas Adi Hiranmayena, Balinese gamelan
Roman Norfleet, vocals, flute, sax, electronics, percussion
Mary Staubitz, objects
Tom Leonardson, synthesizer

Chris Williams, trumpet
Lucie Vitková, accordian, hichiriki, drums, synth, voice, piano
Adam Zanolini, bass, flute
Darien Baiza, drums
CK Barlow, sampling, guitar
Rachel Beetz, flute, electronics
Che Davis, trombone
Obie Feldi, electronics
Sam Pluta, electronics
Bonnie Lander, voice
Mickey Lusk, harp
Patrick McMinn, trumpet, pedal steel, guitar, electronics
Jamal Moore, reeds, percussion
The Emperor King Bishop: Solomon Selassie
sax, keys, bass, electronics, voice
The Theater Project

45 W. Preston St.

Baltimore, MD

October 4, 2024

CloseUp

Stefan Crump Trio

Sam Newsome

Stefan Crump

Eric McPherson

154 Orchard Street

New York, NY

8:00 PM

October 22, 2024

2B&2C: The Ken Cro-Ken Memorial Foundation

8:00 PM - Eli Wallace duo

9:00 PM - Sam Newsome/Phillip Greenlief duo

10:00 PM - All members collaboration

9 Avenue B

New York, NY

October 27, 2024

Never Ending Books

Sam Newsome

Kaelen Ghandhi

Sandy Ewen

810 State St

New Haven, CT

06511

6:00 PM

November 1, 2024

NYC House Concert

Christine Correa Quintet

Christine Correa

Sam Newsome

Andrew Boudreau

Chris Kass

Michael Sarin

Location TBA

7:30 PM

November 12, 2024

Downtown Music Gallery

Patrick Brennan, saxophone and composition

Dafna Naphtali, electronics and sound processing

Sam Newsome, soprano sax

November 22, 2024

Freddy's Backroom/Chris Libutti's series

Sam Newsome (solo)

8:00 PM

627 5th Ave

Brooklyn, NY

11215

December 4, 2024

iBEAMBrooklyn

Ken Ken Kobayashi Series

627 5th Ave

Brooklyn, NY

11215

8:00 PM

December 10, 2024

Barbes

Max Johnson Group

376 9th St

Brooklyn, NY

1121

7:00 PM

December 14, 2024

Teatro do Bairro Alto

Sam Newsome & Fay Victor Duo

Lisbon, Portugal

December 21, 2024

The Jazz Gallery

Ethan Iverson Septet

Sam Newsome, soprano sax

Jonathan Finlaysin, trumpet

Jacob Garchik, trombone

Ethan Iverson, piano

Peter Washington, bass

Kush Abaday, drums

7:30 PM & 9:30 PM sets

1158 Broadway

5th floor

New York, NY

2025 Concert Dates

February 7 - 10, 2025 Toronto Residency

Friday Feb 7, 2025

Masterclass at University of Toronto 3:15pm to 4:30pm

Saturday, Feb 8, 2025

Undercommons Collective at Annette Studios 7:00-10:00pm

Sunday, Feb 9, 2025

The Rex (jazz club) 8:30pm to 11:00pm

Monday, February 10, 2025

The Rex (jazz club) 8:30pm to 11:00pm

Friday, February 28, 2025

New England Conservatory of Music

Masterclass, directed by Anna Weber

Time (TBA)

290 Huntington Ave

Boston, MA

02115

Tuesday, May 6, 2025

Pepperland - Mark Morris & Ethan Iverson

Williamsburg, VA

May 9, 2025

Pepperland - Mark Morris & Ethan Iverson

Berkely, CA

May 13 - 16, 2025

Pepperland - Mark Morris & Ethan Iverson

Las Vegas, NV

May 17 - 18, 2025

Pepperland - Mark Morris & Ethan Iverson

Los Angeles, CA

Published Books

Be Inspired, Stay Focused

Provocative thoughts about creativity and the business of music.

Life Lessons from the Horn

Insightful essays about being a jazz musiciain.

Recent Podcast Appearances

Everything Saxophone w/ Debbie Schwartz

Dr. Jazz Talks

w/Salmo Salamon

Thanks for Dropping By w/ Aaron Irwin

BIOGRAPHY

"Newsome expands the sound of a single soprano into a one-man band."

- Mark Corroto, All About Jazz

Sam Newsome stands as a multifaceted figure in the world of jazz—a saxophonist, music professor, and accomplished writer. In 2023, his artistic endeavors manifested in two duo recordings: Soprano-Logues, a collaborative effort with saxophonist Dave Liebman, and Cosmic Unconsciousness Unplugged, where he joined forces with pianist Jean-Michel Pilc. These releases showcased Newsome's ability to engage in sonically-rich musical dialogues across different instrumental landscapes.

His contributions to the music world have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, Newsome received the prestigious Bronx BRIO Award for Instrumental Music and secured the title of Soprano Saxophonist of the Year in the 14th Annual International Critics Polls. His accolades extend to the 2020 Instant Award in Improvised Music, the 2018 Alpert/Ragdale Prize in Music Composition, the 2016 NYFA Fellowship for Music Composition, and he's been a consistent nominee for Soprano Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association over the past five years.

Beyond his musical accomplishments, Newsome is a prolific author, having penned two books of personal essays: "Be Inspired, Stay Focused" (2022) and "Life Lessons from the Horn" (2015). In 2023, his piece, “From NoHa to SoBro” was featured in the Bronx Memoir Project Anthology, VII.

Newsome's avant-garde approach, particularly in the realm of prepared saxophone, has positioned him as a sought-after player in New York's improvised music scene. His innovative voice has resonated in collaborations with notable artists such as Elliot Sharpe, William Parker, Fay Victor, Daniel Carter, Joe Morris, and Dave Liebman. Through his diverse talents and contributions, Sam Newsome continues to shape and enrich the landscape of contemporary jazz.

Discography as a leader:

Solo: Live at the Catalytic Sound Festival (2024)
Cosmic Unconsciousness Unplugged (2023)
Soprano-Logues (2023)
Subspace Interception (2020)
Free Wyoming (2020)
Sonic Journey: Live at the Red Room (2020)
Chaos Theory: Song Cycles for Prepared Saxophone (2019)
Romanian-American Jazz Suite (2017)
Sopranoville: Works for Prepared and Non-Prepared Saxophone (2017)
The Straight Horn of Africa (2014)
The Solo Concert: Sam Newsome Plays Monk and Ellington (2013)
The Art of the Soprano, Vol. 1 (2012)
Blue Soliloquy (2009)
Monk Abstractions (2007)
Global Unity (2001)
Sam Newsome & Global Unity (1999)
Sam I Am (1994)

PRESS QUOTES

"Sam Newsome, one of our most talented and important jazz voices, completely outdoes himself with Sopranoville.”

Terrell Holmes, The New York City Jazz Record

"Newsome cuts around the edges of the soprano’s fundamentally sweet sound to mimic double-reed instruments from the Middle East, the native singing of Mongolia, bamboo flutes from the Orient."

Nick DeRiso, Something Else Reviews

"A cult classic, for the soprano cult.

Otto Kokke, The Burning Ambulance

"As solo sax recordings go, I remain a big fan of the Anthony Braxton / John Butcher styles and approaches. However, in view of Sopranoville, I’ll be adding Newsome to the list of individuals whose future output is of interest."

Avant Music News

"...extended technique but taken to the next power."

Ken Ackermann, All About Jazz

"A nice look at the outer edges from a cat with the chops to pull it off."

MIdwest Records

"On his latest album Newsome has pushed the limits on his saxophone exploring experimental and avant-garde sounds."

Jon Neudorf, Sea of Tranquility

Newsome expands the sound of a single soprano into a one-man band."

He is a total master of his instrument, and he can play extraordinary melodies on it.

Phil Freeman, The Wire