Sam Blakeslee to Release Second Single from NEW BLOOD Album
Occhi Magazine praised Blakeslee as a scene-shaper whose writing helps shape the modern big band's future.
Trombonist, composer, and educator Sam Blakeslee has released the second single from his new album New Blood, out today, August 28th. The full album will be released on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records (BJUR 083) on September 25, 2026.
Occhi Magazine's Jonathan Blackman praised Blakeslee, writing that he 'has become one of those rare scene-shapers on the NYC circuit: a musician whose presence raises the standard in the room, and whose writing keeps the conversation moving . . . If 'New Blood' is any indication, Sam Blakeslee is not just contributing to the modern big band scene—he's helping to shape its future. His music is provocative without being harsh, sophisticated without feeling sterile, and designed to allow soloists to shine within a larger context.'
Blakeslee, originally from Columbus, Ohio, and now based in New York City, presents New Blood as the latest release from his Sam Blakeslee Large Group. Blakeslee was the recipient of the 2018 David Baker Prize in Composition from Ravinia Steans Music Institute. The album features an ensemble of NYC musicians including Charles Pillow, David Smith, Alex Norris, Pete McCann, and Matt Pavolka, among others.
'Thank you to the members of the Large Group who gave their all as part of a 3-day recording session where we documented two records of my big band music, the second of which I am also extremely excited to share with you down the line,' said Blakeslee.
Blakeslee is a member of numerous ensembles, including Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly of Shadows, Manuel Valera's New Cuban Express Big Band, the Terraza Big Band, Dan Pugach Nonet, New York Afro-Bop Alliance Big Band, and Emilio Solla's Tango Jazz Orchestra. He appeared on Remy Le Boeuf's Assembly of Shadows album Architecture of Storms, which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2023. He has also performed with artists such as Sean Jones, Joe Lovano, Dan Wilson, Dick Oatts, Aretha Franklin, John Clayton, Big Heart Machine, Javier Nero Jazz Orchestra, Jiyhe Lee Orchestra, Tracy Yang Jazz Orchestra, Birdland Big Band, Joel Harrison Large Ensemble, and The Jazz Gallery Composer's Showcase directed by Miho Hazama.
Blakeslee is also a member of the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, co-led by the album's producer, Alan Ferber, and jazz composer Andy Farber. He serves on faculty at the University of Hartford's Hartt School of Music, in the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz, as Director of the Jackie McLean Institute Big Band and Artist Teacher of Trombone.
Blakeslee has cited two major influences on his development as a composer. 'While playing in big bands as a trombonist has always been an integral part of my musical life, my relationship with the medium changed once I became aware of the big band writing of Bob Brookmeyer in 2011. The resonance, warmth, and daring nature of his compositions awakened a new interest in creating my own music . . . it was a compositional awakening,' Blakeslee said.
The other pivotal moment was his move to New York City from Northeast Ohio in 2017. 'Like most find out who move from smaller scenes, to say it was a humbling experience is an understatement. I quickly found myself playing in numerous big bands around town with music I could have never conceived, rhythms and grooves I had never heard, and players that kept me extremely accountable to keep the bar high. Working in the big band scene proved to be a worthwhile incubator for my own writing. It allowed me to find out how I wanted to write, how I didn't want to write, as well as find my own place in the middle of tradition and innovation. By playing a lot of music I liked and didn't like, it allowed me to figure out my own compositional needs and aesthetics. I wanted to write music that was provocative but not overly difficult, complex but not complicated, create frameworks that allowed soloists to truly express themselves, and balance density and openness,' Blakeslee said.
Highlights on New Blood include the title track, written in 2013 as an anthem to the new voices and musical aesthetics that were emerging on the Northeast Ohio scene. 'Franklin's Blues,' a mid-up tempo, driving tune, reflects Blakeslee's relationship with the blues as well as with his cat, Franklin. 'Another Day In Which To Excel,' commissioned by the International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers, is dedicated to the composer's late grandfather, who would awake each day at 5 AM without an alarm and declare, 'another day in which to excel.'
'Slow Growth/New Growth' was originally composed in 2018 for string quartet, piano, bass, and drums as part of the Bridges Residency at Ravinia Steans Music Institute, created to promote music that straddles the divide between jazz and classical; that project led to Blakeslee being awarded the inaugural David Baker Prize in Composition.
Blakeslee said the composition 'Escaping Shadows' reflects his effort to define his own artistic voice. 'I was trying to escape the musical spheres of my own teachers and influences and trying to find out what I was actually hearing, not what other people were,' he said.
Much of the sentiment behind the compositions on New Blood centers on perseverance and resilience through Blakeslee's journey leading a big band, from the group's first performances in 2013 in a basement venue in Akron, Ohio, to recording the album with a large ensemble of New York City musicians.
'Thank you to the album's producer (and my personal hero) Alan Ferber for helping shape the music in the BMI Jazz Composer's Workshop, running the sessions with utmost ease and care, and writing such thoughtful liner notes for the album,' said Blakeslee.
New Blood features Sam Blakeslee - trombone/compositions, Erica Seguine - conductor, Alan Ferber - producer, Brian Krock - Assistant Producer, Michael Thomas - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, Chris Hemingway - alto saxophone, flute, Charles Pillow - tenor saxophone, clarinet, Johnathan Lowery - tenor saxophone, clarinet, Carl Maraghi - baritone saxophone, bass clarinet (tracks 2-4, 6-7), Andrew Gutauskas - baritone saxophone, bass clarinet (tracks 1,5,7), trumpets - John Lake, Stuart Mack (tracks 2-4, 6-7), Alex Norris (tracks 1,5), David Smith, David Adewumi, trombones - Sam Blakeslee, Matt McDonald, John Yao (tracks 2-4,6-7), Willie Applewhite (tracks 1,5), Jennifer Wharton, Pete McCann - guitar, Martha Kato - piano, Matt Pavolka - bass, Lee Fish - drums, Special Guests - Nathan-Paul Davis - alto saxophone (track 5), Chris Coles - tenor saxophone (track 5).
Upcoming Sam Blakeslee Appearances
Friday, September 11: Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival, Akron Main Library, Akron, OH
Sunday, September 27: Shapeshifter Lab, Brooklyn, NY
Friday, November 13: Blu Jazz, Akron, OH
Saturday, November 14: The Bop Stop at the Music Settlement, Cleveland, OH
More information is available at www.SamBlakesleeMusic.com and www.BJURecords.com.
