Sam Newsome & Francisco Mora Catlett: Sax & Drums

Given the number of solo concerts I've given, surprisingly I've only done a handful for sax and drum duets. The majority have been with drummer Andrew Cyrille. I hope to get this collaboration up and running again.

On Sunday, April 20, 2021, at the Downtown Music Gallery, I played a pleasurable duo concert with drummer Francisco Mora Catlett. Francisco and I been playing together for years as a part of his Afro Horn ensemble. But oddly enough, we've never played in a duo context. What's most interesting about this performance is what's not being played. It's always nice when there's room allowed for space and nuance. These things seem to bring more humanity and musicality to any playing situation. And it just seems to make music more enjoyable. It's the easiest thing to do, but then it's also the most difficult. The most obvious things in life usually are. 

In any case, this was the first concert at the DMG since their COVID-19 shut down. I'm happy to have been able to take part in their inaugural opening. Let's hope this is the beginning of many more improvised music performances to come.

 Enjoy!