James Newton facts for kids

James W. Newton, born on May 1, 1953, is an amazing American musician. He plays the flute and is known for his work in both jazz and classical music.

Biography

James Newton was born in Los Angeles, California. From a young age, he was surrounded by African-American music. This included urban blues, rhythm and blues, and gospel music.

When he was a teenager, he played the electric bass guitar, alto saxophone, and clarinet. In high school, he started playing the flute. He was inspired by another famous flutist named Eric Dolphy. James Newton took lessons in classical flute music. He also studied jazz with Buddy Collette. He finished his music education at California State University, Los Angeles.

From 1972 to 1975, James Newton was part of a band called Black Music Infinity. Other members included David Murray, Bobby Bradford, and Arthur Blythe. From 1978 to 1981, he lived in New York. There, he led a trio with pianist Anthony Davis and cellist Abdul Wadud. They played a type of music called chamber jazz. This music combines jazz with classical chamber music.

Newton and Davis also started a quartet. They toured Europe successfully in the early 1980s. After that, James Newton played with many different musicians. He also recorded four albums where he played solo flute improvisations. Since the 1990s, Newton has often worked with musicians from other cultures. He has been part of many projects that mix different musical styles.

James Newton has performed with many famous groups. These include the New York Philharmonic and the San Francisco Ballet. He was also the Musical Director for the Luckman Jazz Orchestra for five years. He has taught music at several universities. These include the University of California, Irvine and the California Institute of the Arts.

In 1989, he wrote a book called The Improvising Flute. In 2007, he published another book, Daily Focus For The Flute. He has also written classical music for orchestras. In 1997, he wrote an opera called The Songs of Freedom. He often writes music for unusual groups of instruments. He has also composed a symphony and music for ballet and modern dance. In 2006, he wrote a Latin Mass. This piece of music was first performed in Italy in 2007.

Awards and Recognition

James Newton has received many important awards. These include fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller foundations. He also won the Montreux Grande Prix Du Disque. The magazine Down Beat named one of his jazz albums "International Critics Jazz Album of the Year."

Beastie Boys Lawsuit

In 2000, James Newton was involved in a legal case with the music group Beastie Boys. The Beastie Boys had used a short part of Newton's 1978 flute and voice song "Choir" in their song "Pass the Mic". This short part was only six seconds long and had three notes.

The Beastie Boys had paid a fee to ECM Records in 1992. This record company had permission from Newton to let others use the sound recording. However, Newton believed the Beastie Boys also needed his permission as the composer of the music.

The court decided that the Beastie Boys had done what they needed to do by getting permission for the sound recording. They ruled that using just three notes of a song was too small a part to require separate permission from the composer. Newton appealed this decision, but the higher court also agreed with the Beastie Boys.

Discography

As leader

• 1977: Solomon's Sons (Circle)
• 1977: Binu (Circle, with Mark Dresser, Tylon Barea, Rudolf Kreis)
• 1978: Paseo del Mar (India Navigation)
• 1979: Hidden Voices (India Navigation) with Anthony Davis
• 1979: The Mystery School (India Navigation)
• 1981: Axum (ECM)
• 1982: Portraits (India Navigation)
• 1983: Luella (Gramavision)
• 1984: Echo Canyon (Celestial Harmonies)
• 1985: The African Flower (Blue Note)
• 1987: Romance and Revolution (Blue Note)
• 1984: In Venice (Celestial Harmonie)
• 1990: If Love (with Billy Hart, Anthony Cox, Mike Cain)
• 1990: Trio2 with Anthony Davis, Abdul Wadud (Gramavision)
• 1994: Suite for Frida Kahlo (Sledgehammer Blues)
• 1996: David Murray/James Newton Quintet (DIW) with David Murray
• 1997: Above Is Above All (Contour)

As sideman

With Arthur Blythe

• Lenox Avenue Breakdown (Columbia, 1979)

With John Carter

• Dauwhe (Black Saint, 1982)

With Buddy Collette

• Flute Talk (Soul Note, 1988)

With Andrew Cyrille

• X Man (Soul Note, 1994)
• Good to Go, with a Tribute to Bu (Soul Note, 1997)

With Chico Freeman

• Peaceful Heart, Gentle Spirit (Contemporary, 1980)

With Leroy Jenkins

• Mixed Quintet (Black Saint, 1979)

With David Murray

• Creole (Justin Time, 1998)

With Sirone

• Artistry (Of The Cosmos, 1979)