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Grammy Nomination for Sammy Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion CD

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GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR SAMMY FIGUEROA & HIS LATIN JAZZ EXPLOSION'S DEBUT CD, “AND SAMMY WALKED IN" ON SAVANT RECORDS

Legendary percussionist Sammy Figueroa and his band The Latin Jazz Explosion have been nominated for a GRAMMY Award for his debut Savant Records release, “...AND SAMMY WALKED IN", in the Best Latin Jazz Album category. The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on CBS.

...AND SAMMY WALKED IN was co-produced by Sammy Figueroa and his longtime production partner Rachel Faro, with whom he has also produced albums by a cappella group Vocal Sampling, Fania legend Yomo Toro, and the Cuban jazz fusion group Cuarto Espacio. It was engineered by Richard Serrotta and Hal Batt and mixed by Grammy- winning engineer Ron Taylor. The production features pianist Michael Orta, his brother Nicky Orta, drummer Gtz Kujack, saxophonist Tyler Kuebler and trumpetist John Lovell (from the Jimmy Buffet band) in an exuberant and joyful display of high energy Latin jazz. It contains compositions by their “house composer" Eugene Uman, along with standards such as Cedar Walton's Bolivia and Hermeto Pascual's Beb. The title track was composed by Michel Camilo in Sammy's honor. All original material on the album is publishing by Sky Dwellings Songs (BMI), which is administrated by Peer Music. In the tradition of Mongo Santamaria, Ray Barretto and Tito Puente, Sammy Figueroa is front and center on this recording, creating a vibrant presence with his inventive conga solos and supportive groove. For more info and to hear the music from “And Sammy Walked In" please click here

Long one of music's most popular and well-respected sideman, Sammy is well-known for having played with everyone from Miles Davis to Mariah Carey to Blues Traveller. Sammy played with The Brecker Brothers for twelve years and has also appeared with countless other artists including Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, and Quincy Jones. Since moving to Miami from New York City Sammy Figueroa has found his voice as a solo artist and developed as a leader of one of the jazz world's most exciting bands. He has also found a creative outlet playing with modern electronica producers such as dZihan & Kamien (Six Degrees Records). Sammy has recently become one of Miami's most popular jazz radio hosts and can be heard every Tuesday at 12 noon on 88.9 Serious Jazz in Miami.

Sammy Figueroa & The Latin Jazz Explosion, along with their producer and engineers, are honored and thrilled to be included in the Latin Jazz category along with musical masters such as Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, The Caribbean Jazz Project and Omar Sosa.

Here's what the critics are saying about Sammy Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion:

“An immensely enjoyable CD... All in all, “And Sammy Walked In" is a wonderful addition to Figueroa's long resume"--John Anderson, Miami New Times

“What can you say? Sammy is The Cat. He has long been regarded as one of the premier musicians in the world"--Drummers World Magazine

“Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion burst out of the gate with energy and verve on the opening songo “Syncopa O No", bristling with chops-busting unison lines and fiery solo exchanges from saxophonist John Michalak, trumper John Lovell, pianist Michael Orta and electric bassist Nicky Orta. Figueroa adds fire to the proceedings with his precise, rapid-fire conga playing"--Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times

“After a career that's spanned more than three decades and has included countless hundreds of recording sessions and concerts with the cream of the jazz and pop-music worlds, the Nuyorican percussionist has finally made his recording debut as a leader. On 'And Sammy Walked In', a disc of jazz-tinged fusion of Afro-Caribbean and Brazilian idioms, Figueroa leads his Latin Jazz Explosion, a group featuring an alto sax and trumpet frontline that recalls the pairing of Cannonball and Nat Adderly"--Mark Holston, Jazziz

“Finally somebody is playing Latin Jazz with fun and fire. Sammy and his very capable musicians instill an uplifting experience into the music, and it feels great"--Amazon.com

For additional information, please contact Rachel Faro/ATTUNE MARKETING 305-865-1849 / [email protected]
or
Barney Fields/SAVANT RECORDS 212 873 2020 / [email protected]



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