Biography
Trumpeter and vocalist Brian Newman delivers high-spirited renditions of classic jazz material with a buoyant, swinging flair. After gaining early notice in the 2000s as a supporting player alongside Lady Gaga, he has carved out his own path as a contemporary crooner whose warm singing and bop-tinged trumpet work regularly fill the Oak Room inside New York’s Plaza Hotel as well as the Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel. His first project for Verve arrived in 2018 under the title Showboat and included a cameo from Gaga.
Newman entered the world in 1981 in Mentor, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb, where his fascination with music surfaced early; he began studying trumpet at school when he turned nine and, by twelve, had already decided on a life in jazz. After graduating from Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School he attended the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, yet he eventually withdrew to move to New York City and chase professional opportunities. While tending bar at the Lower East Side rock venue St. Jerome’s he hustled engagements at Smalls, Fatcat, and Cleo’s, supplemented by wedding dates, hip-hop sessions, and burlesque revues—the latter setting where he met his future wife, burlesque artist Angie Pontani. It was also behind that same bar that he first encountered aspiring performer Stefani Germanotta, soon to be known as Lady Gaga; the pair connected over a shared passion for jazz and standards and forged an enduring friendship. Even as Gaga’s profile soared, Newman continued to appear with her on The Today Show, at the MTV Video Music Awards, and during her 2011 ABC special A Very Gaga Thanksgiving, while she in turn joined him as a guest during his Oak Room residency, the same room where he captured his 2012 debut album Live from New York City.
In 2014 Newman performed and arranged for the joint studio effort Cheek to Cheek by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett; he later contributed to Gaga’s 2016 album Joanne and served as co-producer of the track “La Vie en Rose” featured on the 2018 A Star Is Born soundtrack. His own first studio album, Eyes on the City, surfaced in 2016 with production from Dae Bennett, son of Tony Bennett and president and CEO of the Verve Label Group. Newman then joined the Verve roster and issued Showboat in 2018—his third solo release—titled after his cherished 1971 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight. The set blended originals with standards and spotlighted Gaga on a version of the Animals’ “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” ultimately reaching number 16 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. In 2019 he debuted the stage production Brian Newman: AFTER DARK at the NoMad hotel and restaurant in Las Vegas.
Newman entered the world in 1981 in Mentor, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb, where his fascination with music surfaced early; he began studying trumpet at school when he turned nine and, by twelve, had already decided on a life in jazz. After graduating from Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School he attended the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, yet he eventually withdrew to move to New York City and chase professional opportunities. While tending bar at the Lower East Side rock venue St. Jerome’s he hustled engagements at Smalls, Fatcat, and Cleo’s, supplemented by wedding dates, hip-hop sessions, and burlesque revues—the latter setting where he met his future wife, burlesque artist Angie Pontani. It was also behind that same bar that he first encountered aspiring performer Stefani Germanotta, soon to be known as Lady Gaga; the pair connected over a shared passion for jazz and standards and forged an enduring friendship. Even as Gaga’s profile soared, Newman continued to appear with her on The Today Show, at the MTV Video Music Awards, and during her 2011 ABC special A Very Gaga Thanksgiving, while she in turn joined him as a guest during his Oak Room residency, the same room where he captured his 2012 debut album Live from New York City.
In 2014 Newman performed and arranged for the joint studio effort Cheek to Cheek by Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett; he later contributed to Gaga’s 2016 album Joanne and served as co-producer of the track “La Vie en Rose” featured on the 2018 A Star Is Born soundtrack. His own first studio album, Eyes on the City, surfaced in 2016 with production from Dae Bennett, son of Tony Bennett and president and CEO of the Verve Label Group. Newman then joined the Verve roster and issued Showboat in 2018—his third solo release—titled after his cherished 1971 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight. The set blended originals with standards and spotlighted Gaga on a version of the Animals’ “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” ultimately reaching number 16 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. In 2019 he debuted the stage production Brian Newman: AFTER DARK at the NoMad hotel and restaurant in Las Vegas.
Albums
The Precariousness of Being
2021
Electric Lounge
2020
Showboat
2018
Eyes on the City
2016
New Every Morning
2009
Singles
