Sam Newsome

Sam Newsome was born in Hampton, Virginia and graduated from Berklee College of Music. Upon moving to New York he quickly established himself as a major force on tenor saxophone, performing in the bands of Terrence Blanchard, Lionel Hampton and Donald Byrd. He switched to playing soprano saxophone exclusively in the mid-90s and has become one of the truly distinctive voices on that instrument in the current jazz scene. A talented composer and bandleader, he has recorded many solo CDs, including "Sam I am" (CrissCross), "The Tender Side of Sammy Straighthorn" and "This Masquerade" (Steeplechase), "Sam Newsome and Global Unity" (Columbia), "Global Unity" (Palmetto) and as a co-leader in the sax quartet "Collective Identity" (Palmetto). Recently he has performed in bands led by: Leon Parker, Jackie Terrason, Bruce Barth, Ralph Peterson and David Berkman.