Sam Newsome

Sam Newsome (saxophone) works primarily in the medium of solo saxophone, an approach through which he gained world-wide critical acclaim with the release of his 2009 recording Blue Soliloquy: Solo Works for Soprano Saxophone, which received a five-star review in Downbeat magazine. Newsome sees himself more along the lines of a visual artist who paints with notes and sounds rather than shapes and colors. “My music,” he says, “is a type of improvisatory art music in which jazz functions more as a resource than a musical genre to be interpreted with stylistic specificity.” Even though Newsome’s approach is unorthodox, it has proven to be very fruitful—musically and critically. His creative efforts have earned him such recognition as a 2016 NYFA Artist’s Fellowship for the Music/Sound category; a nomination for Soprano Saxophonist of the Year by the 2016 Jazz Journalist Association; and Fourth Place in the soprano saxophone category in the 64th Annual Downbeat Jazz Critics Poll.