Biography
At 25 years old, composer, arranger, orchestrator, bandleader, musical director, producer, and saxophonist, SamsonTrinh has had a lot on his plate! Born in Richmond, Virginia on May 8th, 1983, Samson received a Merit Scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music's Summer Program and several Merit Scholarships from Virginia Commonwealth University where he has earned his B.M. in Jazz Studies. At VCU, he studied composition and jazz arranging with Doug Richards (founder of the school’s jazz program) and saxophone with Skip Gailes, John Winn, and principal New York Philharmonic saxophonist, Albert Regni. In 2005, he was the winner of Richmond Jazz Society's prestigious Joe Kennedy, Jr. Scholarship. Samson is an alumnus at New York's Manhattan School of Music where he studied jazz composition with well-known composer, Michael Abene.
From December 2003 to November 2005, Samson became co-owner and booking manager for Richmond, VA's Upper East Side Jazz Lounge, which featured a great wealth of talented musicians in the Richmond scene. He has performed, composed, opened, and recorded with/for Plunky Branch, Fighting Gravity, Al Jarreau, Nellie McKay, Mulgrew Miller, Desiree Roots, The Temptations, John Winn, Richmond Jazz Society, Virginia Commonwealth University's Jazz Orchestra I, and members of the Richmond Symphony.
Samson is also the founder and musical director of the 17-piece Upper East Side Big Band. The organization is made up with the finest young musicians in the capital of Virginia. Their repertoire features the swingin’ big band sounds of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and Glenn Miller. The Upper East Side Big Band’s vocalist and pianist, Adrian Duke, will also blow listeners away as he croons popular standards from the Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles songbook. In 2005, the band opened up for Kool & The Gang at Richmond, VA's Jazz on the James.