Sammy
Figueroa
has long been regarded as one of the world's
great musicians. As one
of the world's leading percussionists he has
played on countless records,
providing the rhythmical framework for
hundreds of hits. Well-known for his
versatility and professionalism, he is one
of the few percussionists equally
comfortable in a multitude of styles, from R
& B to rock to pop to bebop to
Latin to Brazilian to New Age. As one of New
York's most sought after session
players Sammy played on countless albums,
jingles and film scores and appeared
often on The David Letterman Band and the
Saturday Night Live Band. He has
recorded and toured with Miles Davis, the
Brecker Brothers (for 12 years!),
Sonny Rollins, Michel Camilo (who wrote the
tune 'And Sammy Walked In' in his
honor), Chaka Khan, David Bowie, and Mariah
Carey (in her multi-million selling
MTV Unplugged). Sammy's famed sense of
humor, ebullient personality, and
open-heartedness is famous within the music
industry and has further empowered
him in his connection with musicians and
audiences alike.
As leader of The Latin Jazz Explosion, Sammy
empowers his players and has
created an ensemble that is astounding in
its musical excitement. His first
album, "And Sammy Walked In" (on Savant
Records), co-produced by
longtime production partner Rachel Faro,
included music by Michel Camilo and
Hermeto Pascual. His second album, "The
Magician", (also on Savant
Records), again co-produced with Rachel
Faro, features spectacular original
compositions by Venezuelans Silvano
Monasterios and Gabriel Vivas alongside
jazz classics such as Seven Steps and Cedar
Walton's Firm Roots. Both albums
received GrammyNominations
for Best
Latin Jazz Album. His third album, "Urban
Nature", mainly original
compositions by Monasterios and Vivas,
further explores the connection between
Latin rhythms and complex modern jazz, with
offerings ranging from the complex
'Gufillo' to the poetic lyricism of
'Zuliana' to the swinging salsa of Mongo's
'Cuca y Olga'.
In 2010, 'just for fun', Sammy developed a
second band, Sally's Tomato, an
exciting tribute to the music of Cal Tjader.
With the blessings of Tjader
family, this band caught on instantly,
magnetizing a devoted fan base of its
own with its breezy tropical, retro sound.
This band has played everywhere from
New York's Iridium club to many corporate
events.
In 2014 Sammy released a new album,
'Talisman', a special collaboration with
Brazilian singer Glaucia Nasser, also
produced by Rachel Faro. This album
brilliantly combines the rhythms of Latin
percussion with the beauty of
Brazilian song. The Talisman group toured
the U.S. East coast in late 2014.
Sammy is currently working on his fourth
album "imaginary World", to
be released in June 2015. All signs indicate
that this album will not only be
his best yet but will be a benchmark for
Latin jazz recordings. Co-produced by
Rachel Faro and American Idol musical
director Ray Chew, the tracks combine a
highly complex and challenging Latin
approach with a classical sense of beauty.
This music was recently introduced at
Sculler's Jazz Club in Boston and
received extended standing ovations and
encores.
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Copyright
2010 JWP Agency / Jim Wadsworth Productions. All rights
reserved.
