SAMMY FIGUEROA has long been regarded as one of the world’s great musicians. As one of the music’s leading percussionists he has played on countless records and is well-known for his versatility in a multitude of musical styles. Besides playing with some of the world’s greatest pop stars, such as David Bowie, Chaka Khan and Mariah Carey, Sammy has also played with a multitude of distinguished jazz artists including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Quincy Jones, Brecker Brothers, and many, many more.
Sammy Figueroa was born in the Bronx and raised in Puerto Rico, the son of romantic singer Charlie Figueroa. Early in his career he was a member of Raices, the seminal Afro-Brazilian-Jazz group, which brought him to New York where he was discovered by Herbie Mann and began his career as one of the world’s most sought after percussionists. After many years as New York’s number one percussionist, in 2001 Sammy relocated to South Florida. It was there that Sammy discovered a thriving community of amazing Latin jazz virtuosos from Cuba, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia and Argentina, and was inspired to find his voice as a solo artist. Putting a band together with the best players in town Sammy Figueroa and His Latin Jazz Explosion debuted at the Hollywood Jazz Festival and since then he has never looked back.
Sammy appears in several important books on music and its legends. His relationship with Miles Davis is described at length both in Miles’ own words in his autobiography entitled “Miles“and in “The Last Miles: The Music of Miles Davis From 1980-1991” by George Cole. Sammy appears in the definitive biography of Sonny Rollins, “Saxophone Colossus” by Aidan Levy, in addition to an interview in “Beyond The Notes“, a film on Sonny Rollins. Anecdotes about Sammy abound in Paquito D’Rivera’s amusing book “My Sax Life”. Sammy is also included in The Grove Dictionary of Jazz.
THE CONTINENTAL (RECORDED LIVE AT JUDSON’S LIVE, ORLANDO)
New Release by Sammy Figueroa!
This single is a tribute to the great Latin Jazz innovator Cal Tjader. This recording was done live at Judson’s Live in Orlando and features Latin Grammy winning vibes player Felipe Fournier and the brilliant young jazz pianist Tal Cohen. Mixed and mastered by the illustrious engineer Bob Katz and produced by Sammy’s longtime collaborator Rachel Faro this music is irresistibly delightful.