Sam Noto is an acclaimed jazz trumpeter and bop soloist. Noto has worked throughout North America with some of the biggest names and best bands in jazz, including Stan Kenton, Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Red Rodney, Don Menza, Joe Romano, Louie Bellson, Frank Rossolino and Mel Lewis to name a few.

Noto was invited to join Stan Kenton’s band as lead trumpet player while still in his early 20’s and played with Kenton full-time until 1958, and again in 1960 after a year-long stint touring Europe with Louie Bellson and Pearl Bailey in 1959. He was also a member of the Count Basie Orchestra for two separate periods between 1964 and 1967.

He worked primarily in Las Vegas after 1969 until relocating to Toronto in 1975. It was while living and working in Vegas he became acquainted with trumpeter Red Rodney who was influential in Noto’s prolific recording career with Xanadu.

While living in Toronto, Noto quickly became a first-call studio player, and member of Rob McConnell’s “The Boss Brass” for a number of years in the ‘80s. Sam also established his own successful groups including the Sam Noto Quintet, performing frequently on bandstands and concert stages throughout Toronto in the ‘90s and early 2000s. Noto now lives in Fort Erie, Ontario, and continues to play in and around the Toronto area, as well as closer to home in Buffalo, N.Y jazz clubs.