Checking in with Alfredo Ortiz

Photo by Ari Marcopoulos, originally published at Beastieboys.com

Alfredo Ortiz, the Beastie Boys percussionist and drummer, is a consummate musician, who at any given time might be a member of a dozen bands. No exaggeration. Fredo is currently on tour in Europe playing drums with Tito & Tarantula (see tour dates HERE). The band are touring in support of their album Back into the Darkness. They recently recorded the title song for the upcoming Robert Rodriguez film Machete.


Fredo in action with Tito & Tarantula

Over the last year, Fredo has recorded and produced music with a number of musicians, including Mexican-American artist Lysa Flores, whose music will be included in a documentary titled Immigrant Daughter. Fredo helped to produce Flores' new album on which he plays drums and contributes vocals. The album should be completed before the end of this year. See video of Fredo performing with Lysa Flores in Pasadena last month HERE.

Fredo also recorded with Los Angeles-based bands Funeral Party (on their album Golden Age of Knowhere) and Cava. Fredo played drums and percussion, as well as helped to write several songs, on Cava's new album A Naughty Dread, which was released last month. Cava's keyboardist is Walter Miranda, who toured with the Beastie Boys in the late 90s when Money Mark was unable to go on the road.

If that weren't enough, Fredo recently recorded percussion with garage rock band the Jump Offs, whose members saw Fredo perform with BS2000 in 2001 when they were only 10 years old. Fredo was introduced to the Jump Offs by his friend Manny Nieto, who has recorded with Los Lobos, Lysa Flores, and Kim Deal, among others. Manny has Fredo working in the studio right now during his short break from the Tito & Tarantula tour, laying down drums for an album by punk band The Inevitable Backlash. You can hear Fredo drumming on the band's cover of the All-American Rejects' "Gives You Hell," which they recorded live in two takes. The NSFW video of the song is located HERE.

To top all of that, Fredo has been recording an album of his own (!), which he plans to release in 2011. Hiatus what?!

In addition to working on music, Fredo has done some recent television work. He appeared in the 200th episode of CSI with friend and fellow Beastie Boys associate Eric Bobo. Fredo has also contributed to a new commercial for Venus Gillette (yes, ladies razors), which will air in the coming months.

[VIDEO REMOVED]
Fredo and Eric Bobo on the set of CSI

Fans interested in connecting with Fredo may reach him through his Myspace page and official web site.