New Blues is an original composition by tenor saxophonist Sam Dillon, first recorded on his 2018 album Out in the Open for Cellar Live Records. One of two Dillon originals on that debut release, the tune reimagines the blues form through advanced harmonic progression, rendering the traditional blues structure nearly unrecognizable while preserving its essential function as a vehicle for improvisation. The composition's harmonic sophistication sets it apart from conventional blues heads, demanding a high level of fluency from the players navigating its changes. The original recording features Dillon on tenor saxophone with Peter Zak on piano, Yoshi Waki on bass, and Billy Drummond on drums, captured in a single session at Trading 8s Recording Studio in Paramus, New Jersey, on January 13, 2018. The track serves as a closing statement on the album, positioned just before a Jimi Hendrix cover, and its extended format gives the quartet ample room for creative exploration. Dillon, a 2013 semifinalist in the Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition whose playing draws comparisons to Eric Alexander and Grant Stewart, wrote the piece as part of a body of work that foregrounds compositional ambition alongside hard-bop directness. New Blues has not entered wide circulation as a jam session standard, remaining a deep cut associated exclusively with the Out in the Open session.
