13.09.2024
Text: Eylül Ege - Illustration: Naz Tansel
Rhythm as a means of seeing: Antonio Sánchez
One of the most exciting events in the 34th Akbank Jazz Festival program is a performance by the four-time Grammy-winning virtuoso, longtime collaborator with Pat Metheny, and composer of the Birdman soundtrack, Mexican drummer Antonio Sánchez. Before Sánchez takes the Zorlu PSM stage, accompanied by Seamus Blake, Aydın Esen, and Orlando le Fleming on October 13, let's delve into the musician’s artistic journey.
Antonio Sánchez was born in Mexico City in 1971, and an important branch in his family tree holds his grandfather Ignacio López Tarso, who guided him through his professional music career. Tarso had a professional career in acting, which he started during the golden era of Mexican cinema (1936-1956), starring in films like Macario, Rosa Blanca, and El hombre de papel. Sánchez used the voice of his grandfather, who passed away in 2023 at the age of 98, as a tribute to him in the track “Opening” from his latest solo album SHIFT.
Looking back, Antonio’s first contact with music dates back to the age of five, when he was introduced to the drums. Guided by early experiences, Sánchez had collected significant musical knowledge by his teens and started to improve his drumming in the professional sense. His formal education journey began in 1993 at the National Conservatory of Music in New York. After graduating magna cum laude in the Jazz Studies program from Berklee College of Music, he pursued a master's degree in Jazz Improvisation at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Then his teacher, Panamanian pianist and composer Danilo Pérez introduced him to clarinet and saxophone player Paquito D'Rivera, who was performing with the legendary trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie at that time. Antonio Sánchez soon found himself playing drums with D'Rivera’s jazz orchestra, and later on, he toured with Pérez's trio and joined one of the most renowned guitarists in contemporary jazz, Pat Metheny, in his band.
Sánchez collaborated with Pat Metheny on many notable jazz recordings, including Speaking of Now, Day Trip, and Unity Band, as well as live performances. In 2006, he released his first solo album, Migration, featuring Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Chris Potter, David Sánchez, and Scott Colley. His goal in this project was to create a collection of music that went beyond the typical “drummer album”, and he explains the process behind this collection with the following words: “I wanted the music to be very melodic and accessible and with a lot of really good interplay.” As the years passed by, he continued to release solo works under the Cam Jazz label alongside his collaborations with Pat Metheny.
It is safe to say that 2014 was a pivotal year for Sánchez. Crossing beyond the jazz terrain, he stepped into the land of cinema with a soundtrack work. He composed the original music for the Iñárritu drama Birdman. The film, featuring a cast including Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough, and Amy Ryan, brought Sánchez’s music to a much wider audience beyond just music listeners. From the Golden Globes to BAFTAs, he won many awards that year.
You see, Antonio Sánchez's story is a testament to a life dedicated to music, where his paths, directions, expressions, and–in his own words–the “means of seeing” are shaped by drumming and rhythm. His impressive body of work includes 2017 release Bad Hombre, which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, and much more. The latest addition to his catalogue is SHIFT, a tribute to his grandfather, featuring a diverse range of artists including Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross, Dave Matthews & Pat Metheny, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Meshell Ndegeocello, Kimbra, Lila Downs, Ana Tijoux, Becca Stevens, Silvana Estrada, MARO, and Thana Alexa.