By David DeRocco

“I cannot describe how life changing this has been in every different angle,” says master percussionist and composer Antonio Sanchez in reference to his experience with Birdman, the Oscar-winning movie that earned him a Grammy and Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Score. “A lot of people saw the film, so a lot of people started recognizing my name and my drumming. All of a sudden I was part of a project that was very far away from the jazz realm, which can be very limiting.”

There is certainly no limitation to the drumming talent possessed by Sanchez, a Grammy-winning solo artist who has released seven albums and also regularly toured as part of The Pat Metheny Group. After the worldwide success of director Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman, which won four Academy Awards in 2014 (including Best Picture and Best Director), Sanchez has been accompanying screenings of the film with live performances of his original drum score. It’s a unique blend of cinema and live music that should appeal to both movie purists and concert goers according to Sanchez.

“I really try not to stand out in the sense that the show isn’t really about me. It’s about the movie and I’m part of the show. It’s an interesting combination between going to a movie and going to a concert, because once you put one live musician on stage the whole energy of the event changes. With one live musician there’s an exchange of energy that you don’t normally get at a movie.”

Given the almost seamless integration of the Sanchez score into the often frantic pace of the film, a live solo drum accompaniment to the screening might seem intrusive in less capable hands. However, regardless of the improvisational nature of his original composition, the Mexican-American jazz virtuoso says he strives to stay true to the movie soundtrack despite the uniqueness of each night’s performance.

“I definitely try to fulfill the dramatic effect that was intended, because to me that is the most important part, to tell the story alongside with the movie so that the audience will get the feeling that Iñárritu intended. But once I’m achieving that I’m completely doing my own thing. Basically as a jazz drummer I’ve been doing that my whole life. You can play the same tune night after night and play it a different way while still making it the same tune.”

The evening is capped off by a drum solo that continues long after the credits have finished rolling, which Sanchez says provides him the opportunity to showcase the limitless musical possibilities of the instrument to people who may not fully appreciate what sounds drums can produce. However, performing in a city that was home to one of his drumming heroes, Sanchez is confident there will be plenty of drum aficionados in the audience in St. Catharines.

“Neil Peart was one of my biggest heroes for a long time, and he still is. He was a major influence when I started getting involved with rock, progressive rock and fusion. I actually got to meet him once in new York when I won the Buddy Rich Memorial Scholarship in 1993-94. He was at the concert, I exchanged a few words with him. It was quite an experience for me.”

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 For tickets visit: https://firstontariopac.ca/.