Four-time Mexican Grammy winner Antonio Sánchez will perform live the original score of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), coupled with an outdoor screening of the Academy Award-winning film as part of the 2023 edition of BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn festival on Friday, June 23.
Acclaimed jazz drummer Sánchez composed the beautiful, nuanced score for Birdman, which was released with critical acclaim, quickly making Sánchez one of the most sought-after jazz drummers in the world.
Starring Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, and Edward Norton, Birdman tells the story of former cinema superhero Riggan Thomson, who is mounting an ambitious Broadway production that he hopes will breathe new life into his stagnant career. It's risky, but he hopes that his creative gamble will prove that he's a real artist and not just a washed-up movie star. As opening night approaches, a castmate is injured, forcing Riggan to hire an actor who is guaranteed to shake things up. Meanwhile, Riggan must deal with his girlfriend, daughter and ex-wife.
Born in Mexico City, Sánchez began playing the drums at age five and performed professionally in his early teens in Mexico’s rock, jazz, and latin scenes. Since moving to New York City in 1999, Sánchez has become one of the most sought-after drummers on the international jazz scene. Following 18 years and 9 albums as one of the most revered collaborators with guitarist/composer Pat Metheny, he also has recorded and performed with many other most prominent artists like Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden, and Toots Thielmans.
In 2014 Sánchez’s popularity soared when he scored Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) which ended up fetching four Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and for which Sánchez won Grammy award.
Additional film/tv projects include EPIX network's Get Shorty and Hippopotamus among others. With more than a dozen recordings as a leader or co-leader, Sánchez's recent projects include the acclaimed epic The Meridian Suite and the star studded Three Times Three. He turned his upset over social injustice into a tribute to every immigrant’s journey in his epic musical statement Lines in the Sand.
The screening and concert will be preceded by a performance by musician Takuya Kuroda, who bends the rules of genre, fusing jazz, funk, and hip-hop to create unique sounds on the trumpet.
