A native of New Orleans, Big Sam first rose to fame as a member of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, whose touring schedule kept the young trombonist on the road for 300 days a year. A fan of artists like Parliament-Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix, Living Colour, and Prince, Big Sam formed the Funky Nation with some of his friends and favorite players from across The Big Easy—including Andrew “Da Phessa” Bayham, Jerry “Jblakk” Henderson, Alfred Jordan, and Keenan McRae.
Big Sam is proud to not cater to any single demographic. The Funky Nation has appeared at a diverse range of jam band festivals, jazz shows, rock clubs, and funk gigs since forming in 2007. “We play music for everybody,” Big Sam says. “It’s not just funk; that’s the foundation, but the music goes from funk to rock to wild jazz. It’s music about love and partying. Everyone can get down with that.”