Sammy Figueroa's Top Five Collaborations; Pineapple Groove Show March 4

Sammy Figueroa is one of those jazz greats with the kind of broad appeal that makes everyone outside his genre want to engage his brilliance. Rather than getting recognized via the geniuses with whom he's associated, it's a testament to his own prowess that there are so many people for...

By Monica Uszerowicz

February 25, 2011

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Sammy Figueroa is one of those jazz greats with the kind of broad appeal that makes everyone outside his genre want to engage his brilliance. Rather than getting recognized via the geniuses with whom he's associated, it's a testament to his own prowess that there are so many people for whom he's employed his skills.

Perhaps the most iconic of those figures is Miles Davis. But the Bronx-born percussionist has been a purveyor of a Latin jazz sound so heavy and for so long that the range it has spanned is huge: Blondie, Bobby Valentín, David Bowie, Arturo Sandoval, Hall & Oates, Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack, Chet Baker, Grover Washington, Jr. and Quincy Jones are but a few of his collaborators.

Sammy Figueroa made the transition to frontman when he built his Latin Jazz Explosion band after relocating to Miami and, subsequently, has been named Miami's Best Jazz Musician by the Miami New Times twice. And, if you've been in Dade county on a Monday morning, chances are you've heard the Sammy Figueroa Show if you turned on 88.9 FM. While the man himself is currently touring with the incredible Sonny Rollins, he and his band are playing at Pineapple Groove in Delray Beach next week on Friday, March 4.

In honor of his mid-tour stop in Delray, here some of the best examples of Sammy doing his thing: making a hit even better.

5. Luther Vandross - "The Night I Fell in Love"

4. Ashford & Simpson - "Solid (Like A Rock)"

3. Sister Sledge - "We Are Family"

2. Miles Davis - "Fat Time"

1. Sammy Figueroa & the Latin Jazz Explosion - Healing Man

Sets at 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday, March 4, at Pineapple Groove, 19 NE 3rd Avenue, Delray Beach. $10 at the door. Call 561-450-7953, or visit http://www.pineapplegroove.com/

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Monica Uszerowicz

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