Sammy Figueroa


Sammy Figueroa is an American percussionist. At 18, he joined the band of bassist Bobby Valentín and also co-led the Brazilian-Latin fusion group Raíces. He is known as an extremely prolific session player, having played on nearly 400 albums, including ten platinum records.
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Early years

Figueroa was born in the Bronx in 1948. He started singing at an early age, following in the footsteps of his father, Charlie Figueroa, whom he never met. However, Sammy later decided that he wanted to be an instrumentalist. By his teenage years, he was focusing almost entirely on percussion. Figueroa moved to Puerto Rico as a child to live with his grandparents amidst rising gang violence in The Bronx and, at 17 years old, joined the band Raíces.

Move back to New York

Raíces had a difficult time making a name for themselves and Figueroa left the group and returned to New York City, where he took a job at a Sam Goody record store. Figueroa eventually rejoined Raíces and recorded an album with them in Miami, but moved back to New York again when the group broke up a few years later. While working at the record store, Figueroa met prominent jazz flutist Herbie Mann, who was impressed by Figueroa’s knowledge of music and record recommendations. Upon learning that Figueroa was a percussionist, Mann invited him to sit in at a club gig and, later, offered him a spot in his band. Soon thereafter, Figueroa began working with Average White Band, The Brecker Brothers, and The Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Session work

Figueroa soon became one of the 'top calls' in New York as a session percussionist. Over the course of his career, he worked with a wide range of jazz, rock, pop, soul, fusion, and Latin musicians, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, George Benson, Chet Baker, Al Foster, Stanley Clarke, Art Farmer, Quincy Jones, Grover Washington Jr., Houston Person, Al Jarreau, Lena Horne, Joe Williams, Tony Williams, Stanley Turrentine, Freddie Hubbard, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Weckl, John Scofield, Don Cherry, Yoko Ono, Pat Metheny, Vinnie Colaiuta, Steve Gadd, Jaco Pastorius, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston, Ben E. King, Peter Tosh, Chaka Khan, Mariah Carey, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, The Bee Gees, Blondie, Bette Middler, Celine Dion, Patti Smith, Narada Michael Walden, David Lee Roth, Roberta Flack, Sister Sledge, Tom Jones, James Taylor, Carole King, Natalie Merchant, Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, Joe Cocker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steven Van Zandt, Ashford & Simpson, Hall & Oates, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Chic, The Yellowjackets, Steve Winwood, Fabrizio Sotti, Nestor Torres, Chico O’Farrell, Paquito D’Rivera, Ruben Blades, Eddie Palmieri, Rafel Cortijo, Tania Maria, and many others.

Move to Miami and solo career

In 1989, Figueroa met producer Rachel Faro at a benefit for Pat Mikell, co-proprietor of Mikell’s jazz club. The two became a production team and went on to produce various Cuban and Puerto Rican artists and bands including Lazaro Roz con Mezcla, Fania All-Star Yomo Toro, a capella group Vocal Sampling, and fusion band Cuarto Espacio. Faro founded the label Ashé Records in 1998 and moved the label to Miami shortly after. Figueroa followed her there in 2002, quickly forming the band Sammy Figueroa and His Latin Jazz Explosion, which debuted at the 2002 Hollywood Jazz Festival and held a regular performance slot at the Van Dyke Café in Miami Beach for several years. Figueroa also leads Sally’s Tomato, a Cal Tjader tribute group, as a side project. He has cited Bill Fitch, who played conga with Tjader, as a longtime influence on his own playing. To date, Figueroa has released seven albums as a band leader or co-leader. His most recent album Searching For A Memory/Busco Tu Recuerdo a tribute to his father, was produced by Faro with Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Cuban singer Aymée Nuviola. The production was made possible by a Creativity Residency Grant from SouthArts Jazz Road initiative. In 2024, the album was nominated for a [Latin Grammy Awards|Grammy Awards|Latin Grammy] in the category of "Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album."

Awards

Figueroa's first two solo albums, "...and Sammy Walked In" and "The Magician" were nominated for the Grammy for 'Best Latin Jazz Album'. In September 2024, "Searching For A Memory/Busco Tu Recuerdo" (Ashé, 2023, received a Latin Grammy Nomination for "Best Jazz/Latin Jazz Album." By the time it received its Latin Grammy nomination, "Searching For A Memory/Busco Tu Recuerdo" had already received a "Production of the Year" award from Puerto Rico's Fundacion Nacional para La Cultura Popular six months prior.
Figueroa has also been awarded three Recording Academy (NARAS) awards for 'Percussionist of the Year,' the title of "Best Jazz Artist" in the Miami New Times "Best Of Miami" awards in 2003, and a Drum! Magazine "Drummie" Award for "Best Jazz Fusion Percussionist" in 2008. He received a Jazz Journalists Association award in 2012 and was a runner-up for another in 2015.

Gear

Figueroa endorses Pearl percussion, Sabian cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, and Shure microphones. His gear setup includes:

Selected discography

As leader or co-leader

SoloTalisman with Glaucia NasserMemory of Water Imaginary World Searching For A Memory/Busco Tu Recuerdo
With Sammy Figueroa & His Latin Jazz Explosion...and Sammy Walked In The Magician Urban Nature
With Raíces
  • ''Raíces''

As sideman

With Ashford & SimpsonSolid Real Love
With Average White BandAWB Cupid's in Fashion Soul Tattoo
With Bee GeesE.S.P.
With George BensonIn Your Eyes
With BlondieThe Hunter
With Blues TravelerStraight On till Morning
With Tommy BolinTeaser
With David BowieLet's Dance Tonight
With The Brecker BrothersBack to Back Don't Stop the Music Straphangin'
With Paul CarrackGroove Approved
With Don CherryHear And Now
With ChicChic C'est Chic Risqué Real People Take It Off Tongue in Chic
With Joe CockerUnchain My Heart
With Miles DavisThe Man with the Horn
With Joey DeFrancescoWhere Were You? In the Key of the Universe
With DeodatoVery Together
With Will DowningInvitation Only
With Paquito D'RiveraHavana Café
With EnchantmentEnchanted Lady
With Al FosterMr. Foster
With Nnenna FreelonMaiden Voyage
With Hiroshi FukumuraHot Shot
With Debbie GibsonBody, Mind, Soul
With Dave GrusinWest Side Story
With Gwen GuthrieJust for You
With Hall & OatesOoh Yeah!
With Major HarrisHow Do You Take Your Love
With Debbie HarryKooKoo
With Nicole HenryThe Very Thought of You
With Whitney HoustonWhitney
With Grayson HughRoad to Freedom
With Dr. JohnAnutha Zone
With Etta JonesChristmas with Etta Jones Reverse the Charges
With France JoliNow!
With Stanley JordanMagic Touch
With Chaka KhanChaka Naughty Chaka Khan
With Ben E. KingMusic Trance
With Carole KingCity Streets
With Morgana KingEverything Must Change
With Earl KlughCrazy For You Wishful Thinking
With Gladys Knight & the PipsTouch
With Jean KnightKeep It Comin
With Melissa ManchesterHey Ricky
With Herbie MannSurprises Mellow Peace Pieces - The Music of Bill Evans
With Jay McShannThe Big Apple Bash
With Bette MidlerThighs and Whispers
With Stephanie MillsTantalizingly Hot
With Charles MingusMe, Myself an Eye
With Bob Mintzer Big BandDeparture
With Idris MuhammadBoogie To The Top
With Mark MurphyWhat a Way to Go I'll Close My Eyes
With OdysseyHang Together
With Yoko OnoIt's Alright (I See Rainbows)
With John PizzarelliMeets the Beatles
With Jimmy PonderCome On Down
With Sonny RollinsRoad Shows, Vol. 1 Road Shows, Vol. 2 Road Shows, Vol. 3
With David Lee RothCrazy from the Heat Eat 'Em and Smile
With Diana RossThe Boss Red Hot Rhythm & Blues
With Leo SayerWorld Radio
With John ScofieldWho's Who?
With Sister SledgeWe Are Family
With O. C. SmithAfter All Is Said and Done
With Patti SmithDream of Life
With Spyro GyraThree Wishes
With Billy SquierTell the Truth
With Candi StatonCandi Staton
With Peter ToshMystic Man
With Luther VandrossForever, for Always, for Love
With Narada Michael WaldenGarden of Love Light I Cry, I Smile
With Dionne WarwickHow Many Times Can We Say Goodbye
With Steven Van Zandt