ABOUT
Beginnings
Freddy 'Fuego' Gonzalez was born into a Puerto Rican family in New York City and raised on the sounds of East Harlem in the 90s and 2000s -- a mix of funk, salsa, jazz and hip-hop that heavily influences his music.
Music ran deep in his family: his father played the saxophone; Tio Alfred led the church choir; Tio Ray was a background singer for La India; Tio Ibrahim had a radio show in the Bronx. Freddy followed in these footsteps, picking up the trombone at the age of 13. By 18, he was performing around the city with salsa and hip-hop bands all over the city.
The New York Chapter
After playing a show at The Blue Note in 2006, he dropped out of Fordham University and decided to pursue "the music thing." That dream brought him to Berklee College of Music in Boston, then The New School for Jazz on a full scholarship.
After hours would find him anywhere from rehearsals in steamy Brooklyn basements to the studio lights at NBC performing behind Jesse McCartney. He played all over the city, sharing the stage with musicians of all genres, including B.B. King, Groundation, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, Collie Buddz, De La Soul, Styles P, Fred Wesley, Delfeayo Marsalis, Arturo O’Farrill and Bobby Sanabria. During one particularly memorable recording for Wu-Tang Clan, he fell over in excitement when meeting RZA for the first time.
Performing at the Shrine in Harlem, 2010.
Performing at Bowery Poetry Club in 2012.
Performing with the Brighton Beat at Brooklyn Bowl, 2018.
Performing at the Shrine in Harlem, 2010.
Tour life
Freddy went on to receive his Master's degree in film scoring from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain, culminating in recording with a 50-piece orchestra at London's Abbey Road Studios.
From 2015 to 2017 he toured Spain and Latin America on the "Sirope" world tour with Spain's biggest-selling artist, Alejandro Sanz, playing for stadiums of up to 50,000 fans. With Sanz, he was a featured soloist on Latin Grammy-winning DVD "Sirope Vivo," and performed with stars such as Juan Luis Guerra, Ruben Blades, Laura Pausini, and Rosalia. They took the stage at notable venues such as El Estadio Nacional in Peru, El Festival de Viña del Mar in Chile, and El Festival de Peñas Villa Maria in Argentina.
Seattle sound
Now based in Seattle, Freddy has quickly turned into one of the most recognizable players on the jazz and funk scene.
He has played at venues including the Royal Room, Town Hall Seattle, Benaroya Hall, Nectar Lounge, Supernova, Sea Monster Lounge, Triple Door and more. He continues to compose for film, orchestra and small combos.
In both live performances and recordings, you'll find him always trying to push the envelope in some way - bending genre, rhythm and harmony to create compelling music that challenges both musician and listener.
