Money Mark and Alfredo Ortiz will be performing together at a benefit for San Francisco Cinematique, a film society that showcases experimental film and video. The benefit will take place on Thursday, May 19, at 8 pm at 111 Minna Gallery in San Francisco. Tickets are available at Brownpapertickets.com.

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. 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's 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 [VIDEO REMOVED].

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's "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 website.

Tu Ciudad, a Latino magazine based in Los Angeles, has singled out Alfredo Ortiz in a feature titled "25 Angelenos We Love" in its October/November 2006 issue. According to the article, the Morningwood drummer and Beastie Boys percussionist will be playing on the Beastie Boys' next studio album. Ortiz' involvement on the album seems to indicate that the Beastie Boys do not intend to produce an all-rap album like To the Five Boroughs.

(Thanky Pooty)

If the Beastie Boys decide to tour with instruments in the future, they will be searching for a new percussionist. Alfredo Ortiz, who handled percussion on the Pageant tour, now has a full-time job with another band. Last fall, Ortiz joined the rock band Morningwood, replacing the band's original drummer.

On Morningwood's message board, frontwoman Chantal Claret explained how Ortiz came to join the band: "Pedro [Yanowitz, Morningwood's bassist and co-founder] has known him for years from when they both played double drums for Money Mark."

Morningwood's self-titled debut, which was produced by Gil Norton (Pixies, The Distillers, Jimmy Eat World), is generating a lot of buzz, as are the band's wild live shows. Ortiz does not feature on the album; however, he will be performing with Morningwood as they tour with The Sounds (see tour schedule). Morningwood's next live performance will be at SXSW, where Ortiz may have the opportunity to catch up with his old friends, the Beastie Boys, who will be making an appearance at the music and film festival.