He studied Jazz Composition & Arranging at the Berklee College of Music from 1983 to 1987 under Bill Pierce, George Garzone, Andy McGhee, and Hal Crook.

Some of his classmates were Javon Jackson, Danilo Perez, Delfeayo Marsalis, Mark Turner, Julian Joseph and Donny McCaslin.

Newsome, while leading his group at the after hours jam session at the Blue Note caught the attention of trumpeter Terence Blanchard.

[2] Other members of Blanchard's quintet were pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Rodney Whitaker (and later Tarus Mateen) and drummer Troy Davis.

He formed Motivic Development, a jazz/world music trio with bassist Yosuke Inoue, drummer Matt Wilson, and later adding percussionist Joao Vincent Lewis.

1 (2012), Sam Newsome Plays Monk and Ellington (2013), The Straight Horn of Africa: A Path to Liberation - The Art of the Soprano, Vol.

Newsome also plays regularly as a member of Francisco Mora Catlett's AfroHorn, The Bad Plus: Science Fiction, Fay Victor's SoundNoise and On the Quiet Side, and Meg Okura's Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble.

With Bruce Barth With Terence Blanchard With David Berkman With Orrin Evans With Elisabeth Kontomanou With Leon Parker With Various Artists