Ritual chants, motifs of African Americans and the music of white settlers are closely intertwined in jazz. This music style originated in America at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, it has been loved and respected by a huge audience all over the world. It developed rapidly, acquired a huge audience and became part of the world of high art.
Many outstanding jazz musicians created their hits in the homeland of this style. We will talk about one of them in our article. Jerry Gonzalez was a famous American trumpet player from the Bronx. Read more about him on bronx-trend.com.
YOUNG JERRY AND THE FIRST STEPS TO SUCCESS
Jerry Gonzalez was born on June 5, 1949 in the suburbs of Manhattan. When the boy was four years old, the family moved to the Bronx. He spent his childhood and youth there. His father sang in various bands representing the Latin American direction. The boy’s uncle was a guitarist. This musical environment had a significant impact on little Jerry. He firmly decided that he would take an example from creative adults. During his school years, he played the trumpet in a local orchestra. Tito Puente, Miles Davis and Eddie Palmieri were his childhood idols.
Later, the boy graduated from the New York College of Music. Afro-Cuban roots and appreciation of jazz rhythms by family and friends determined the further direction of Gonzalez’s career. He was inspired by this incredible music from an early age.
WORK IN MUSIC BANDS
Jerry Gonzalez became a famous jazz trumpeter who was well-known throughout the music industry and by his numerous fans. This was preceded by a long history of developing and improving his skills.
In 1970, a real legend of jazz Dizzy Gillespie appeared in Gonzalez’s life. A famous virtuoso trumpeter invited the newcomer Jerry to his team as a trumpeter and percussionist. This work was the Bronx native’s first step on the way to fame.
Later, he created his first album Ya Yo Me Cure and released many famous compositions. The peak of the musician’s popularity was the formation of The Fort Apache Band. The whole world was talking about the talented trumpet player. The cult line-up of the team included Jerry Gonzalez, Kenny Kirkland, Sonny Fortune, Angel Vasquez, Nicky Marrero, Jorge Dalto, Milton Cardona, as well as Jerry’s brother Andy Gonzalez. The first albums of The Fort Apache Band were recorded live during performances at large-scale jazz festivals. The musicians were frequent guests at various festivals and other thematic events. They became bright representatives of their niche.
Their success was marked by many honorary awards. The band became The Beyond Group of the Year according to the Down Beat Magazine. It received a prize from the French Jazz Academy. There were also Grammy nominations in the band’s history.
GONZALEZ’S OWN WAY
Jerry’s ambitions and dreams were too big to be limited to working in one band. He also collaborated with other musicians and presented himself as a solo artist. The musician managed to work with Tito Puente, Jaco Pastorius and other outstanding personalities.
He was extremely fascinated by Spanish culture. In 2000, during the filming of the documentary Calle 54, González arrived in Madrid. The city became like a native for him and the musician decided to settle here. This affected the work of the star. He became interested in flamenco and began to add Spanish motifs to his music.
In 2004, Jerry formed the group Los Piratas del Flamenco, whose members became Spanish musicians. The group quickly achieved success and recognition.
In 2010, he received the Latino of the Year Award and was included in the 100 Latinos Awards-Madrid.
Jerry Gonzalez was an outstanding jazz musician who lived and worked in different countries. Having started his journey in the Bronx, he conquered the whole world. After all, real talent has no borders.
