Following a noon concert earlier this day, on Saturday, February 8 (see Evidence: Thelonious Monk Celebration at HPL ), gracing our stage again, New York soprano saxophone specialist, composer Sam Newsome plays a solo set in the very intimate confines of the You Me Gallery, employing extended technique and various accoutrements, everything that makes his approach to his instrument and the music unique.
For their first visit to Hamilton, the duo K2 composed of longtime Newsome student and collaborator, soprano saxophonist Kayla Milmine and Jonathan Kay on soprano & tenor saxophone, esraj, shakuhachi, Tibetan horn, and an arsenal of sonic artifacts.
SAM NEWSOME
Sam Newsome experiments to acclaim with the prepared saxophone saxophone, wedding it with an already-prodigious knowledge of the instrument’s sonic anatomy. Newsome’s dazzling deployment of multiphonics, slap tonguing, circular breathing and other alternative means of activating the instrument, displays an urgency, insight and dexterity that’s both peerless and wholly personal.
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.
K2
K2 is an improvising duo spearheaded by Kayla Milmine (soprano saxophone and a varied trove of sound-making curiosities) and Jonathan Kay (soprano & tenor saxophone, esraj, shakuhachi, Tibetan horn, and an arsenal of sonic artifacts). Their union delves into the raw, transformative powers of music, conjuring sound-rituals as sites fueled by indeterminacy, where boundaries are not just crossed but obliterated through transcultural improvisation and an unapologetically nomadic approach to sound.
The duo birthed their project after a shared performance in April 2024 at the Aga Khan Museum as part of Adam Rudolph's Go Organic Orchestra. Since then, Kayla and Jonathan have been regularly cultivating an organic approach to improvisation, aspiring to create music that feels untamed, unfiltered, and alive—music without preservatives, brimming with the influences of Don Cherry’s fearless experimentation and William Parker’s deep, ritualistic resonance.
Their arsenal is vast and unruly; exploring double soprano; or pairing soprano with; its larger sibling tenor saxophone; or with esraj (the haunting 21-stringed Indian relic), shakuhachi, customized Tibetan horn, or electronics based upon just-intonation. These instruments become more than tools; they morph into conduits for celestial resonance and primal feedback loops that defy earthly expectation. The duo’s unconventional technique of coupling of saxophones generates a dizzying, otherworldly soundscape that shatters traditional expectations based upon the separation of music from noise. Their lived experiences in non-Western musical and spiritual traditions are the molten core of their work—infusing their sonic explorations with a contemplative intensity, forging a sound-world where the sacred and the rebellious converge in a nomadic and participatory sound-ritual.
$20 advance / $25 door (Space is limited)
by e-transfer to tix [at] zulapresents [dot] org or in person
[No one will be refused admission for lack of funds]