From 1972 to 1975, together with David Murray, Bobby Bradford, and Arthur Blythe, Newton was a member of drummer (and later critic) Stanley Crouch's band Black Music Infinity.
Since the 1990s, Newton has often worked with musicians from other cultural spheres, including Jon Jang, Gao Hong, Kadri Gopalnath, and Shubhendra Rao, and has taken part in many cross-cultural projects.
He has received Guggenheim (1992) and Rockefeller fellowships, Montreux Grande Prix Du Disque, and Down Beat International Critics Jazz Album of the Year.
According to the group, Newton declined a settlement offer and, in a counter-offer, demanded "millions" and 50 percent ownership and control of "Pass the Mic", despite the sample being only one of hundreds of sounds in the song.
[4] In the federal district court case, Newton claimed that the group infringed his copyright on the composition, by making use of the three-note sequence embodied in the sampled sound recording.
[7] With Arthur Blythe With John Carter With Buddy Collette With Andrew Cyrille With Chico Freeman With Leroy Jenkins With David Murray With Sirone