A native of Brooklyn, New York's Bed Stuy, the legendary Sam Jacobs is he is the poster child of diversity. Sam used his musical talents to become one of the God Fathers of Hip Hop who recorded with Run DMC and Kurtis Blow and others, prior to breaking through with the Hip Hop Hall of Fame recording of "Nightamares" which became a blue print for form in Rap music that continues to this day. Sam attended New Yorks CCNY and graduate work at one the foremost institutions of World Music programs in the country, Wesleyan University in Connecticut. During that era of his career and education he performed opposite John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Cannonball Adderly, Mongo Santamaria, at Brooklyn's legendary jazz club The Blue Corronet, with his own band that included in later years Marcus Miller, Frank Wess, George Benson, Stanley Banks, Ted Dunbar, Melvin Sparks, Art Blakey Jr., Nile Rogers, Randy Brecker and many others that have since risen to stardom in todays music. During this phase of Sam's career he also performed at The Village Gate, The Village Vanguard, The Five Spot, Count Basies Lounge, Wells, The Baby Grand and many other Hot Spots. Sam was a member, and leader of Late Night at the world famous Blue Note. His definitive and unique style of conga playing took him to every major Jazz Festival in the world as a member of trumpeter Ted Curson's band. Sam has composed music for the Kings County Shakespeare Company's classical version of Macbeth and recently fillilled out the sound track as percussionist and pianist with Kennedy Center Award recipient trumpeter Jimmy Owens for the hit HBO serries, America Undercover. Sam has shared his wealth of knowledge and compassion with students from Junior High School through the graduate level at Wesleyan University. His commitment to excelleance reflects the guidence of his teachers Ravi Shankar, Ram Chakravarty, Ed Blackwell, Ghanian Master Drummer, Abraham Adzenyer, and many others. After five decades as a performer and educator Sam Jacobs is enjoying making his music available to the world and will continue to do so. Jerry Jemmott