A nomad of sorts, Sam has lived all over the U.S. and five years in Mexico. He began playing guitar at the age of 5, and began singing soon thereafter. His influences range from folk, funk, soul, hip-hop, and jazz, but his roots are in church music and the Mexican folk tradition.
Over the past ten years, Sam has performed with various ensembles playing everything from gospel and contemporary Christian music, blues, pop, neo-soul/nu jazz, Latin folk, and Latin jazz.
Sam served as the principal guitarist and vocalist for "Chema," "Sonar," WCCO (Worship Center of Central Ohio), Peace Lutheran Church, "Gruvment," "Matias-Rocha y Nueva Trova," and his own various projects (not to mention countless cover bands and alike).
He has performed with the likes of Othello Molineaux, Eddie Bayard, Eddy Martinez, Pharez Whitted and has been on bills including The Roots, Floetry, Joe Lobano (Us Five), and more. Over the past year he has played at the Charleston Wine and Jazz Festival, Parkersburg Multicultural Festival, Columbus Latino Festival, Columbus Jazz Festival, Vonn Jazz Lounge (Columbus, OH), Old Town School of Folk Music (Chicago, IL), Twins Jazz (Washington DC), Baltimore Museum of Art, Cafe El Sol (Milwaukee, WI), Nighttown (Cleveland, OH), Hartford Jazz Society, First Night (Knoxville, TN), Malcolm X Institute of Black Studies (Crawfordville, IN), and more.
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