Jerry Gonzalez

There are still real innovators wandering throughout the world, absorbing, listening, playing and coming up with original concepts. Jerry Gonzalez is one such musical nomad, who has gone beyond world music into realms still devoid of classification, where there are no defining boundaries, just the motion of a perpetual journey.

Born in 1949 in the Bronx, Jerry Gonzalez was raised in a strong musical atmosphere, with the strains of Latin, Afro-Cuban and jazz music always in his ear, establishing his musical appreciation and molding his future work as an artist. In junior high school, he began playing the trumpet and congas, and jamming with local bands. After deciding this was his calling, Gonzalez then completed his formal studies at New York College of Music and New York University.

He began his professional career as a conga and trumpet player in 1970, performing with Dizzy Gillespie. With Gillespie’s support and encouragement, Gonzalez was able to fuse the African based rhythms onto jazz elements without compromising the essence of either. The next year, Gonzalez joined Eddie Palmieri’s band, “El Son” for a brief period before moving on to work with “Conjunto Libre” the band led by great timbales artist, Manny Oquendo.

Inevitably, Gonzalez talent led him to form his own band. His initial was taken in the late 1970’s with a band he called “Ya Yo Me Cure” and released an album of the same name in 1979. No doubt, his real talent only came to the fore with his second band: “Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band” which included his brother Andy. and other members as Kenny Kirkland, Sonny Fortune, Nicky Marrero, Papo Vazquez, the late Jorge Dalto, and Milton Cardona. The ensembles first two albums were recorded live at European jazz festivals, “The River is Deep,” 1982 in Berlin: “Obatala,” 1988 in Zurich.

These were followed by their hit album, “Rumba Para Monk,” in 1989, earning them recognition from the French Academie du Jazz with the “Jazz Record of the Year” award. This was the record that caught the ears of the jazz community, and is still considered a stellar project.

Gonzalez and the band subsequently released “Moliendo Café” in 1991. The album again demonstrated the band’s ability to play Latin inspired jazz with genuine sensitivity and virtuosity. They followed that effort with the release of “Crossroads” in 1994 and “Pensativo” in 1995, each of which earned them Grammy nominations. The ensemble was awarded The Beyond Group of the Year by both Downbeat Magazines reader's and critic's polls in 1995 and 1996.

Gonzalez and group continued their creations on the 1996 album “Fire Dance,” recorded live at Blues Alley, and featuring interpretations of Thelonious Monk as “Let’s Call This,” and “Ugly Beauty,” as well as original compositions. Their efforts were well compensated by winning a score of awards as; Best Jazz Group in Playboy Magazines Readers Poll for 1997. In 1998 they swept the Latin Jazz category at the New York Jazz Awards winning both the Industry and Journalist Polls. In 1999 the group scored big with the critics and readers polls for Beyond Group of The Year in Downbeat Magazine.

In 2000, González relocated to Madrid. The trumpeter went to Madrid for just one day and ended up living there. He immersed himself in the flamenco scene, and started to develop a new concept with the genre, it would blossom in the future.

Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band also won rave reviews for their contribution to the video documentary about Latin jazz, “Calle 54”. The 2001 film also included performances by noted Cuban and other Latin artists: Paquito D’Rivera, Gato Barbieri, Chucho Valdes and Cachao.

His hiatus in Madrid resulted in the production of “Los Piratas Del Flamenco” (2004) featuring a Gypsy Flamenco group that includes the esteemed singer "El Cigala." Gonzalez's trumpet fuses with Nino Josele's flamenco guitar on most of the selections and the blending results in a fresh sound. A novel approach is evident, is it was done without bass, without drums or piano, a radically new sound, a fusion of jazz and flamenco, but with a twist.

Jerry Gonzalez & the Fort Apache Band offered a tribute to Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, on their 2005 release “Rumba Buhaina.” This is another well conceived and executed performance, but then by now with these guys we can expect nothing less. Show less