Homing Sam Newbould

• 1Barba tenus sapientes07:09
• 2Below the elbow05:18
• 3Anglesey05:54
• 4Homing05:36
• 5Little boy ghost08:26
• 6Odd jobs04:53
• 7BTE reprise 101:20
• 8Believe you me05:39
• 9Twinkle twinkle04:22
• 10BTE reprise 201:45
• 11Dog dance04:03
• Total Runtime54:25

Info for Homing

Inspired by - and named after - his temporary adoption of a homing pigeon from Poland, as well as his own reflections on building a life abroad, saxophonist, composer and bandleader Sam Newbould presents Homing. Combining humour with sadness, drama with banality, and virtuosity with simplicity, Homing is Newbould’s most personal and unapologetically bold musical statement yet.

‘Unlike the homing pigeon, my feeling of home isn’t tied to a particular place anymore, and the album is inspired by that process of building a new feeling of home,’ Newbould elaborates. Blending in talent and some of Europe’s finest young improvisers, Newbould presents his tertiary offering with a solid sense of both melody and humour.

Celebrated for his uninhibited approach to writing both in his native UK and in The Netherlands where he lives, Newbould brings along a celebrated group of musicians, each bandleaders in their own right, to present eleven original compositions packed with musical storytelling, now further embellished with vocals and clarinet.

Sam Newbould, alto saxophone, clarinet, voice
Bernard van Rossum, tenor saxophone
Xavi Torres, piano, wurlitzer, synthesizer
Jort Terwijn, double bass, electric bass
Guy Salamon, drums, percussion

Sam Newbould
Raised in the north of England and living in the Netherlands, saxophonist, composer and bandleader Sam Newbould releases his third album called Homing. Inspired by the adoption of a Polish carrier pigeon and reflections on his own foreign-born existence, he wrote 11 songs that fill his new album. Self-reflection and British humour go hand in hand with the bearded musician as evidenced by the catchy opening track with an on-the-nose title Barba Tenus Sapientes. Which means as much as he is wise up to his beard.

After his debut album Blencathra (2019) for which he was praised and his second Bogus Notus (2021) that you couldn't stop listening to, Homing now follows with 11 original compositions. The title track Homing starts with a melody line initiated by the horns after which pianist Torres answers with an angular theme. Then it's game on; an elegant groove sometimes accompanied by vocals alternates with variations on the theme. That catchy structure can also be heard in the playful Odd Jobs performed by the top musicians in his band, each of whom also fill band-leading roles elsewhere. The lovely Anglesey with wurlitzer and two singing saxophones reminded me involuntarily of another unforgettable ballad Angel Eyes.

Thelonious Monk's iconic tune Trinkle, Tinkle recorded with John Coltrane in 1957, got a serious tribute with Twinkle, Twinkle with a Newbould-touch brilliant makeover! The affable Sam Newbould is a great storyteller. This is evident with this third album of his, but his concerts add another dimension.

This album contains no booklet.