Sam Gucwa

Biography

Sam Gucwa is a saxophonist and woodwind doubler known for her bold bandleading and inventive solos across genres. Beginning her professional career after moving to Denver in 2020, Gucwa played as a big band saxophonist with the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra (Colorado) and the Dean Bushnell Orchestra (Colorado) on every reed part. She performed in trombonist Stafford Hunter’s Young Lions residency series, and was a fellow of the 2024-25 Gathering Orchestra under the direction of Rodney Whitaker.

Beyond the jazz tradition, Gucwa has performed with the Boulder Philharmonic on baritone saxophone, and recorded as PureArtistMusic’s studio woodwind while living in Denver. She arranged and coordinated live instrumentation for indie rock band Bleak Mystique and helped them win the University of Denver’s Battle of the Bands. In March of 2024, Gucwa presented her research on the impacts and lives of Miles Davis’ romantic partners on the TEDxMSU stage. Her research led her to development of her debut album set to release in winter 2025. 

Gucwa is a graduate of Michigan State University, having studied under tenor saxophonist Walter Blanding. She performs on alto and baritone sax with groups including MoonMill, the Alluvion Big Band, Collision 6, and Brian vander Ark of the Verve Pipe.

Gucwa documents her work on Instagram as @sams_saxophone, as well as on YouTube and Threads. Believing strongly that social media is often a young musician’s first access point to representation, her content seeks to model a modern musician’s lifestyle and share her ethnomusicological research.