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Antonio Sánchez at MoMA. Shown: Jackson Pollock. One: Number 31, 1950. 1950. Oil and enamel paint on canvas, 8' 10" × 17' 5 5/8" (269.5 × 530.8 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection Fund (by exchange). © 2023 Pollock-Krasner Foundation/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

MoMA has always been on the cutting edge, but also on a mission to pay tribute to what has brought art to this precise moment in time. I wasn’t sure what I was going to feel when asked to pair art with music; my approach was to try to figure out what the pieces evoked in me and then think of music that brought out similar sensations.


Judit Reigl. Guano-Round. 1958–64

Judit Reigl. Guano-Round. 1958–64

Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “The Revenant Main Theme” + Judit Rigel’s Guano Round

Riegel’s piece feels somber, like loneliness and solitude in a vast, cold labyrinth. It reminds me of bitter, cold weather. Winter always gives me a lonesome feeling, and Sakamoto’s gorgeous composition for Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu’s film The Revenant felt like the right match for Riegel’s piece. I’m sure my brain made the association because of Iñarritu’s use of snow and vast white landscapes in this piece. I had the honor of collaborating with Sakamoto on that score, when he invited me to play Japanese drums. I recently watched CODA, a documentary about his life and work. That’s when I realized that Sakamoto was already sick with throat cancer during those sessions; this gave the music a new, deeper meaning after his untimely death.

Steve Reich’s “Electric Counterpoint III. Fast” + Jackson Pollock’s One: Number 31, 1950

Pollock’s multilinear approach reminded me of Steve Reich’s composition. The notes and lines on the music feel like they are suspended, interacting and intertwining with each other just like Pollock’s masterful work. Infinite possibilities and combinations.

Antonio Sánchez with Jackson Pollock’s One: Number 31, 1950 (1950)

Antonio Sánchez with Jackson Pollock’s One: Number 31, 1950 (1950)

Barnett Newman. Vir Heroicus Sublimis. 1950–51

Barnett Newman. Vir Heroicus Sublimis. 1950–51

Bill Frisell’s “Ghost Town/Poem for Eva” + Barnett Newman’s Vir Heroicus Sublimis

Frisell’s beautifully innocent and unpretentious playing on this piece reminds me of the deceptive simplicity of Newman’s work. Calming and gorgeous.

Sarah Grilo’s cryptic work reminds me of the chaotic, bustling energy of Morocco.

Sarah Grilo. Add. 1965

Sarah Grilo. Add. 1965

Antonio Sánchez at MoMA

Antonio Sánchez at MoMA

Khalifa Ould Eide and Dimi Mint Abba’s “Waidalal Waidalal” + Sarah Grilo’s Add

Sarah Grilo’s cryptic work reminds me of the chaotic, bustling energy of Morocco. I visited Essaouira and Marrakech in the mid 2000s with Pat Metheny and Christian McBride. We performed at the Gnowa Festival, where we had the privilege of collaborating with some incredible Moroccan musicians. The music and culture were vibrant beyond my wildest dreams; it was a life-changing experience musically and culturally. My mother flew from Mexico and accompanied me on that trip. Not surprisingly, she was the only one in our group whose stomach was unscathed after a full week of amazing Moroccan delicacies.

Keith Jarrett’s “The Koln Concert Part IIA” + Francois Morellet’s Random Distribution of 40,000 Squares Using the Odd and Even Numbers of a Telephone Directory, 50% Blue, 50% Red

Jarrett’s masterful improvisations on this track remind me of Morellet’s work. It’s a mesh of playful sounds—organized in even and odd numbers of bars and beats with a touch of randomness added to the mix—that seem incredibly well thought out.

François Morellet. Random Distribution of 40,000 Squares Using the Odd and Even Numbers of a Telephone Directory, 50% Blue, 50% Red. 1960

François Morellet. Random Distribution of 40,000 Squares Using the Odd and Even Numbers of a Telephone Directory, 50% Blue, 50% Red. 1960

Yves Klein. Blue Monochrome. 1961

Yves Klein. Blue Monochrome. 1961

Miles Davis’s “Flamenco Sketches” + Yves Klein’s Blue Monochrome

I’m not sure if this Miles Davis piece came to mind because of Yves Klein’s blue and the fact that “Flamenco Sketches” was recorded for Davis’s iconic Kind of Blue album. Either way, the color blue always brings me calm—but blue seas and skies are ephemeral and, for me, are always accompanied by darkness and danger, which are beautifully illustrated by the contrasting minor chords in the music.

Blossom Dearie’s “I’m Hip” + Martha Wilson’s A Portfolio of Models

A friend of mine hipped me (pun intended) to this tune not long ago, and its playfulness and Dearie’s quasi-comic voice and cheeky interpretation immediately brought a smile to my face. You can hear the audience literally laughing out loud in the live recording at Ronnie Scott’s legendary jazz club in London. Martha Wilson’s work is all of that and more: Spot-on ingenious, provocative, irreverent, and hilariously truthful.

Antonio Sánchez with Martha Wilson’s A Portfolio of Models (1974)

Antonio Sánchez with Martha Wilson’s A Portfolio of Models (1974)

Antonio Sánchez in Alexander Estrella’s Flat Bells installation

Antonio Sánchez in Alexander Estrella’s Flat Bells installation

Dawn of MIDI’s “Moon” + Alexander Estrella’s Flat Bells

This trio caught my attention a few years ago with this self-titled album. The musicians are able to create sounds and compositions that are beautifully organic and highly complex and mathematical at the same time—no small feat. Estrella’s work evoked those feelings when I first saw and heard it. It’s a cryptic and inspiring work that made me lose track of time when I first sat in front of it and took it all in.

Dolly Parton’s “When Someone Wants to Leave” + Andy Warhol’s Gold Marilyn Monroe

For me, Warhol’s piece produces an interesting dichotomy: a kitschy playfulness and bitter sadness that I’ve always associated with Marilyn Monroe. Parton’s joyful sound contrasts with the song’s sad lyrics, which tell a story of abandonment, loneliness, and sorrow that were a big part of Monroe’s life.

Antonio Sánchez with Andy Warhol’s Gold Marilyn Monroe (1962)

Antonio Sánchez with Andy Warhol’s Gold Marilyn Monroe (1962)

Born in Mexico City, four-time Grammy Award winner Antonio 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, he has become one of the most sought-after drummers in the international jazz scene.

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