Sam is a multi-instrumentalist specailising in Afro-Latin percussion - particularly Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian percussion traditions, and has performed with a large variety of bands in Australia as well as performing in Brazil and the USA. Sam also enjoys playing guitar, bass and drum kit.
Sam has performed at festivals around Australia including: Woodford Folk Festival, National Folk Festival, Illawara Folk Festival, Brunswick Music Festival, Eltham Jazz Festival, Cresfest, Johnston St Latin Festival, and Folk, Rhythm, Life Festival; as well as at leading Melbourne venues such as The Night Cat, Northcote Social Club, Northcote Theatre and The Corner Hotel. Sam's band Headphones Jones also supported Canadian touring artist Alysha Brilla at the Brunswick Ballroom.
Sam travelled to Cuba and Brazil to deepen his knowledge of Afro-Latin percussion and culture and performed as part of carnival in Recife and in Rio.
Sam founded and is the co-band leader for funk collective 'Headphones Jones' and has also played with:Sam has performed at festivals around Australia including: Woodford Folk Festival, National Folk Festival, Illawara Folk Festival, Brunswick Music Festival, Eltham Jazz Festival, Cresfest, Johnston St Latin Festival, and Folk, Rhythm, Life Festival; as well as at leading Melbourne venues such as The Night Cat, Northcote Social Club, Northcote Theatre and The Corner Hotel. Sam's band Headphones Jones also supported Canadian touring artist Alysha Brilla at the Brunswick Ballroom.
Sam travelled to Cuba and Brazil to deepen his knowledge of Afro-Latin percussion and culture and performed as part of carnival in Recife and in Rio.
- Belly savalas
- the talking heads experience {AUS}
- The elvis big band
- alariiya
- Rua
- maracatu estrela do mar
- bloco 3k



































PLAYLIST OF band videos / LIVE FOOTAGE
FULL FESTIVAL / event CREDITS:
national folk festival (2024), cresfest folk festival (2023), High Country Halls - Tolmie (2022),
national folk festival blackboards (2022), Eltham Jazz Festival (2020),
Healesville Wine and Wildlife Festival (2019), PBS’s Rock-A-Bye Baby (2019), Carnaval Recife (2019) [BRAZIL], Carnaval Rio (2019) [BRAZIL], Brunswick Music Festival (2019), Johnston St Latin Festival (2019), Folk, Rhythm, Life Festival (2019), Melbourne Latin Festival (2019), National Folk Festival (2018), Midsumma Pride March (2018), St Kilda Festival (2016), Prime Minister’s Olympic Dinner (2016)
national folk festival blackboards (2022), Eltham Jazz Festival (2020),
Healesville Wine and Wildlife Festival (2019), PBS’s Rock-A-Bye Baby (2019), Carnaval Recife (2019) [BRAZIL], Carnaval Rio (2019) [BRAZIL], Brunswick Music Festival (2019), Johnston St Latin Festival (2019), Folk, Rhythm, Life Festival (2019), Melbourne Latin Festival (2019), National Folk Festival (2018), Midsumma Pride March (2018), St Kilda Festival (2016), Prime Minister’s Olympic Dinner (2016)
An Excerpt from some of sam's afro-cuban percussion studies in havana, cuba with teacher jacinto
An Excerpt from some of sam's afro-BRAZILIAN percussion studies in Recife, Brazil