Farnell Newton
"Still considered a young lion of the local jazz scene despite deserving tenure, trumpeter-producer Farnell Newton has his hands on just about everything cool and funky happening in Portland. His name on a bill serves as a seal of freshness."— Casey Jarman, Willamette Week
With over two decades in the Portland, Oregon music scene, trumpeter Farnell Newton has built a reputation as one of the most versatile musicians in the Northwest, seamlessly navigating straight-ahead jazz, Latin music, soul, hip-hop, funk, and beyond. His latest release, Feel the Love (2021, Posi-Tone), features a dynamic series of original compositions by Newton, his bandmates, and longtime influences, supported by an impressive lineup including saxophonists Jaleel Shaw, Patrick Cornelius, Braxton Cook, and Brandon Wright; trombonist Michael Dease; pianist Art Hirahara; bassist Boris Kozlov; and drummers Joe Strasser and Rudy Royston.
Inspired by trumpet legends Freddie Hubbard, Marcus Belgrave, and Donald Byrd, Newton continues to develop his rich compositional voice and maintains a warm, expressive trumpet tone. Born in Miami, Florida, he grew up immersed in jazz, salsa, funk, and hip-hop. His move to Philadelphia to attend the High School of Creative and Performing Arts (C.A.P.A.) deepened his love for jazz, further nurtured by his uncles, saxophonist/arranger Conny Murray and "the father of avant-garde drumming" Sunny Murray.
Newton’s early leader albums Back to Earth (2017, Posi-Tone) and Rippin’ & Runnin’ (2020, Posi-Tone) sparked international acclaim, while his sideman contributions include Tales of Wonder – A Jazz Celebration of Stevie Wonder(2020) and Posi-Tone Swingtet’s One for 25 (2020).
Newton has toured with Grammy-winning R&B singer Jill Scott and legendary bassist Bootsy Collins, and performed alongside icons such as George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Dumpstaphunk, Karl Denson, Fred Wesley, and Stevie Wonder.
Beyond performing and family life, Newton remains one of Portland’s hardest working musicians — composing for Marmoset Music (featured in commercials for Uber, Adidas, Puma, Facebook, and the NFL), hosting a weekly radio show on KMHD, leading the funk outfit The Othership Connection, and running the social media community Jam Of The Week, which boasts over 70,000 followers.
"Still considered a young lion of the local jazz scene despite deserving tenure, trumpeter-producer Farnell Newton has his hands on just about everything cool and funky happening in Portland. His name on a bill serves as a seal of freshness."— Casey Jarman, Willamette Week
With over two decades in the Portland, Oregon music scene, trumpeter Farnell Newton has built a reputation as one of the most versatile musicians in the Northwest, seamlessly navigating straight-ahead jazz, Latin music, soul, hip-hop, funk, and beyond. His latest release, Feel the Love (2021, Posi-Tone), features a dynamic series of original compositions by Newton, his bandmates, and longtime influences, supported by an impressive lineup including saxophonists Jaleel Shaw, Patrick Cornelius, Braxton Cook, and Brandon Wright; trombonist Michael Dease; pianist Art Hirahara; bassist Boris Kozlov; and drummers Joe Strasser and Rudy Royston.
Inspired by trumpet legends Freddie Hubbard, Marcus Belgrave, and Donald Byrd, Newton continues to develop his rich compositional voice and maintains a warm, expressive trumpet tone. Born in Miami, Florida, he grew up immersed in jazz, salsa, funk, and hip-hop. His move to Philadelphia to attend the High School of Creative and Performing Arts (C.A.P.A.) deepened his love for jazz, further nurtured by his uncles, saxophonist/arranger Conny Murray and "the father of avant-garde drumming" Sunny Murray.
Newton’s early leader albums Back to Earth (2017, Posi-Tone) and Rippin’ & Runnin’ (2020, Posi-Tone) sparked international acclaim, while his sideman contributions include Tales of Wonder – A Jazz Celebration of Stevie Wonder(2020) and Posi-Tone Swingtet’s One for 25 (2020).
Newton has toured with Grammy-winning R&B singer Jill Scott and legendary bassist Bootsy Collins, and performed alongside icons such as George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Dumpstaphunk, Karl Denson, Fred Wesley, and Stevie Wonder.
Beyond performing and family life, Newton remains one of Portland’s hardest working musicians — composing for Marmoset Music (featured in commercials for Uber, Adidas, Puma, Facebook, and the NFL), hosting a weekly radio show on KMHD, leading the funk outfit The Othership Connection, and running the social media community Jam Of The Week, which boasts over 70,000 followers.