Andy Gonzalez started as a musician at the age of 13 in the Latin Jazz Quintet in New York

Andrew “Andy” Gonzalez passed away on April 9, 2020.

Virtuoso bassist, arranger and musical director of Don Manny Oquendo’s “El Conjunto Libre” and Eddie Palmieri’s “La Perfecta”.

Andy has worked throughout his extensive artistic career that spans almost 50 years, with approximately 800 recordings, where he has had the opportunity to be as co-leader, producer, musical director or sideman.

Andy began as a musician at the age of 13 in the Latin Jazz Quintet, a group inspired by the music performed by vibraphonist Cal Tjader and in which he shared with his brother Jerry.

Although long before that, Gerardo Gonzalez, Gonzalez’s father, had already begun his son’s musical

Gerardo was the vocalist of Augie Melendez y Su Combo, an ensemble influenced by the sound of Sexteto La Playa.

It is worth mentioning that during their time in the Latin Jazz Quintet, the Gonzalez brothers met a person who would change their lives: pianist Llewellyn Matthews, with whom they learned the discipline necessary to “graduate” as professional musicians, both were part of the big band of this decisive leader.

Later came Eddie Palmieri’s La Perfecta, his brother’s Fort Apache Band, the Grupo Folklorico Experimental Nuevayorquino and Manny Oquendo y Libre, 4 groups that changed forever the perception of the music we know today as Salsa.

He collaborated with The Fort Apache Group, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Astor Piazzolla and Ray Barretto.

Andy González is a fundamental reference in the history of Caribbean music and Latin jazz. He has played with almost mythological musicians at times when they left a deep mark on both Latin jazz and dance music.

He has been bassist for Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barreto, Conjunto Libre, Grupo Folklorico Experimental Nuevayorquino, Fort Apache Band, and on some occasions for Ismael Rivera y sus Cachimbos, Cortijo y su Combo and Sonora Matancera.

In this conversation, held in Santiago de Compostela -during the Compostela Millenium Festival in August 2000- he vibrates when talking about his record collection, he declares himself a fan of the study of the roots of the music he makes and reviews his artistic life since when with his band, at the age of 13 and together with his brother Jerry, they imitated the sound of Cal Tjader.

Passion for music      

I’m as much a music fan as I am a musician. Just like any music lover. I’m a fan of the things I appreciate that are important in the history of music. I have studied a lot and that has allowed me to notice the quality and quantity of artists that this music has produced. Great artists, people who have contributed a lot. When you have and study a collection of records like the one I have, you realize that now there are few.

Inspiration

Cal Tjader was my inspiration when I started. Also for Fort Apache Band, because their music had a strong jazz component, but with Cuban rhythms. Good rhythms. We had a great interest in what Cal Tjader was doing.

When we started playing we were copying what Tjader was doing. We were little kids of 13 and 14 years old. We had a very similar repertoire with the same quintet, where Jerry played congas.

Once we even had a dance next to the place where Tjader played, doing the same music. Armando Peraza played congas for Tjader and once he saw us and congratulated us. We always had the support of musicians with more experience, veterans of other generations.

Main Source: Pablo Larraguibel

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