Gerardo Velez

Gerardo Velez

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Gerardo Velez

Gerardo "Jerry" Velez (born August 15, 1947) is a Puerto Rican musician. Best known for performing with American psychedelic rock musician Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock Festival in August 1969, Velez is a veteran percussionist and drummer, who has performed with many artists covering a number of different genres of music. He is also a common member of jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra.

Life and career

Born in Puerto Rico on August 15, 1947, Velez began his musical career in The Bronx, New York. He notably joined Jimi Hendrix's band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows in July 1969, performed at the Woodstock Festival and at a small number of studio sessions, before Hendrix disbanded the group in favour of returning to the three-piece format of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The band's performance at Woodstock was released on the live album Woodstock in 1994, followed by live album and video Live at Woodstock in 1999. For all Hendrix releases on which he appears, Velez was credited with the nickname Jerry.

Since performing with Jimi Hendrix, Velez has continued to record and tour with high-profile artists, including David Bowie, Elton John and Duran Duran. According to his official website, Gerardo Velez has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Selected discography

with Christine Hayley
  • Gone Fishin' (2002) – percussion
with Martha Veléz
  • Hypnotized (1972) – conga
with Spyro Gyra
  • Morning Dance (1979) – percussion, bongos, conga
  • Catching the Sun (1980) – percussion
  • Carnaval (1980) – percussion, bongos
  • Incognito (1982) – percussion
  • City Kids (1983) – percussion
  • Access All Areas (1983) – percussion
  • Alternating Currents (1985) – percussion
  • Down the Wire (2009) – percussion
with David Bowie
  • Black Tie White Noise (1993) – percussion

References

  • Biography. GerardoVelez.com. Retrieved on September 19, 2009.
  • [Gerardo Velez at All Music Guide Gerardo Velez > Credits]. allmusic. Retrieved on September 19, 2009.
  • Gerardo Velez Discography. Discogs. Retrieved on September 19, 2009.

External links

  • Official website
  • Gerardo Velez at MySpace
Jimi Hendrix
Bands
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Gypsy Sun and Rainbows Band of Gypsys The Cry of Love
Related bands: The Dirty Mac The Noel Redding Band Ramatam The Gypsy Sun Experience
Personnel
Noel Redding Mitch Mitchell Billy Cox Buddy Miles Larry Lee Juma Sultan Jerry Velez
Discography
Original releases
Studio albums: Are You Experienced (1967) Axis: Bold as Love (1968) Electric Ladyland (1968)
Live albums: Band of Gypsys (1970)
Compilations: Smash Hits (1969)
Posthumous releases
Studio albums: The Cry of Love (1971) Rainbow Bridge (1971) War Heroes (1972) Loose Ends (1973) Crash Landing (1975) Midnight Lightning (1975) Nine to the Universe (1980) First Rays of the New Rising Sun (1997)
Live albums: Monterey International Pop Festival (1970) Isle of Wight (1971) Experience Vol. 1 (1971) Experience Vol. 2 (1972) Hendrix in the West (1972) Live at Winterland (1972) Jimi Hendrix (1973) The Jimi Hendrix Concerts (1982) Jimi Plays Monterey (1986) The Last Experience Concert: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (1990) Jimi Hendrix: Woodstock (1994) Live at the Fillmore East (1999) Live at Woodstock (1999) Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight (2002) Jimi Hendrix: Live at Berkeley (2003)
Compilations and box sets: Jimi Hendrix (1972) The Essential Jimi Hendrix (Vol. 1) (1978) The Essential Jimi Hendrix (Vol. 2) (1979) The Singles Album (1983) Kiss the Sky (1984) Radio One (1988) Cornerstones (1990) Lifelines: The Jimi Hendrix Story (1991) Sessions (1991) Footlights (1991) Stages (1991) The Ultimate Experience (1993) Bleeding Heart (1994) Blues (1994) Voodoo Soup (1995) South Saturn Delta (1997) BBC Sessions (1998) Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix (1998) The Jimi Hendrix Experience (2000) Voodoo Child: The Jimi Hendrix Collection (2001) Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Jimi Hendrix (2003) 20th Century Masters Millenium Collection: Best of Jimi Hendrix (2005) Rainy Day Dream Away (2006) Jimi Hendrix His Greatest Hits (2006)
Anticipated releases
The Royal Albert Hall film Jimi and Noel's 8mm films Black Gold
Songs
"Fire" "Foxy Lady" "Hey Joe" "Purple Haze" The Wind Cries Mary" "Manic Depression" "Red House" "I Don't Live Today" "Third Stone From the Sun" "Stone Free" "51st Anniversary" "Spanish Castle Magic" "Little Wing" "Castles Made of Song" "Up From the Skies" "Voodoo Chile" "Gypsy Eyes" "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" "All Along the Watchtower" "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" "Machine Gun" "My Friend" "Angel"
Related articles
Early life of Jimi Hendrix Electric Lady Studios Monika Dannemann Musical equipment Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix
This page was last modified 21.03.2013 18:40:54

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