About

Sam Ross is a musician in the Iowa City area with a Bachelor's of Music degree in Jazz Performance at the University of Iowa. He has been involved in music and has played the saxophone for over 10 years. Between the end of elementary school and part of junior high, he spent time studying under saxophonist Debbie Yarrow and later with multi-instrumentalist Suzanne Smith throughout his high school years. His primary instructor and mentor at Iowa was Dr. Damani Phillips, jazz saxophonist and head of the jazz department at the University of Iowa. In addition to school-related concerts, Sam actively performs in and hosts jam sessions and performs at other gigs in various local venues, including Noce Jazz Club in Des Moines, Iowa City Jazz Festival, and a monthly residency at the Ideal Theater in Cedar Rapids. While his repertoire is typically based around jazz, he is known for his stylistically diverse sets ranging from Latin, funk, soul, R&B, hip-hop, neo soul, rock, blues, fusion, and more. In 2024, Sam performed as a featured guest artist at the 2024 Jazz Education Network Conference (JEN) in New Orleans, LA. In 2025, Sam was accepted into the live competition round of the esteemed North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) regional competition for jazz saxophone in South Dakota, where he placed second overall. During his time as a musician, Sam has performed with many professional musicians such as world-renowned pianist Benny Green, pianists Steve Shanley and William Menefield, trumpeter Curtis Taylor, guitarists Steve Grismore and Craig Erickson, bassist Blake Shaw, and drummers James Dreier, Jerome Gillespie, and Michael D'Angelo. Additionally, in 2024, Sam performed lead tenor with the Motown group The Four Tops for a sold-out show they played in Iowa. In May 2025, he performed an opening set for New York-based jazz trumpeter Michael Sarian at his Iowa City show during his national tour featuring songs from his new album. Sam is a foundational member of the funk band, Yesternite, led by trombonist Killian Ritland. Sam has recently accepted an offer from the University of Akron in Ohio, where he will pursue his Master's in Music (MM) in Jazz Performance, and will also be a teaching assistant for the jazz department. At Akron, he will be studying with saxophonist Chris Coles, pianist Theron Brown, guitarist Dan Wilson, and drummer Anthony Taddeo.