Mr. Newsome works primarily in the medium of solo saxophone, an approach through which he gained worldwide 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. Mr. Newsome sees himself more along the lines of a visual artist who paints with notes and sounds rather than shapes and colors. “My music, “says Newsome, “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. Newsome has released ten solo recordings which has earned him the 2020 Instant Award in Improvised Music and the 2016 NYFA Award.
