Born in Mexico City, 4-time Grammy Award winner Antonio Sánchez began to play the drums at age five and performed professionally as a teen in Mexico’s Latin, jazz and rock scenes—when he wasn’t participating as a member on Mexico’s Junior National Gymnastics Team. He later pursued a degree in classical piano at the National Conservatory in Mexico and in 1993 enrolled in Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory, where he graduated magna cum laude in Jazz Studies.

Following nine albums and 18 years as one of the most cherished of Pat Metheny’s collaborators, Sánchez has also recorded and performed with Gary Burton, Michael Brecker, Charlie Haden and Chick Corea. In 2014 Sánchez’s popularity soared when he scored Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman which ended up garnering four Academy Awards (including Best Picture).

Today, Sánchez is among the most sought-after jazz drummers in the world and has been Modern Drummer’s “Jazz Drummer of the Year” on multiple occasions. His new album SHIFT – Bad Hombre Vol. II, featuring Dave Mathews, Trent Reznor and a host of other guest artists, will be released on Warner Bros this August.