Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band

Jerry González (June 5, 1949 – October 1, 2018) was an American bandleader, trumpeter and percussionist of Puerto Rican descent. Together with his brother, bassist Andy González, he played an important role in the development of Latin jazz during the late 20th century. During the 1970s, both played alongside Eddie Palmieri and in Manny Oquendo's Conjunto Libre, and from 1980 to 2018 they directed The Fort Apache Band. From 2000 to 2018, Jerry González resided in Madrid, where he fronted Los Piratas del Flamenco and El Comando de la Clave. In October 2018, he died of a heart attack after a fire in his home in Madrid. The Fort Apache Band is named after the very tough neighborhood in The Bronx, New York. where he and his brother Andy grew up. Andy plays bass and is in the band. It still is a tough neighborhood. Jerry Gonzalez was featured prominently in the film about Latin Jazz that was called "Calle 54". Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.