Sam Hankins

DAZZLING, INVENTIVE AND SUPER MELODIC TRUMPETER

Having the great fortune to be born into a musical family, Samuel Hankins sophisticated his own talent and ambitions at an early age. Encouraged by his father, Samuel Hankins Sr., young “Hank” began with the guitar, then in middle school switched to trumpet and started to play in churches, professional bands and orchestras.

Hankins’s love for music led him to the Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma where he earned his Bachelor’s degree. Later, he joined the Air Force Jazz Band, The Pacesetters and stayed with the band until the closing of the Air Force Base in 1991. Then he returned to school and earned both a second Bachelor’s degree and a Masters Degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

As a trumpet player, Hankins has performed many gigs with legendary jazz and R&B artists like Clark Terry and Aretha Franklin. Over the years, while maintaining educational career he has played with funk bands, circus bands and different “combos”.

Sam Hankins is widely recognized in the educational circles for his occupancy as Band Director at Edison Middle School, where he led many ensembles from 1995 through 2006. During this time, he was invited to be a Guest Conductor for Jazz and Concert bands as well as a guest soloist.

With his wife’s advice, he started to concentrate on the next phase of his career, composing and arranging. This led to releasing of Dream Catcher, which was the groundwork for Nothing Between Us.

Dream Catcher is a compilation of his catalog of music in every genre from smooth jazz and dance to techno.

With the mix of old school R&B/funk and cutting edge grooves, dynamic melodies and wild brass sizzle he released the album Nothing Between Us. The trumpet sound on the album gives a unique expression of the musician. Sometimes playful like in “We Come Together” and “See Me”, sometimes reflective and intimate like in the romantic “I Can Be”.

Both of his albums have received great feedback and are played on radios all around the world.