Scheila Gonzalez (born August 5, 1971 in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
) is an American, Grammy winning multi-instrumentalist and music educator.
She is best known for playing the
saxophone
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...
and other instruments in the all-female
DIVA Jazz Orchestra and with artists such as
Dweezil Zappa
Dweezil Zappa (born Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa; September 5, 1969) is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor. He is the son of musical composer and performer Frank Zappa. Exposed to the music industry from an early age, Dweezil dev ...
,
Alex Acuña
Alejandro Neciosup Acuña (born December 12, 1944), known professionally as Alex Acuña, is a Peruvian-American drummer and percussionist.
Background
Born in Pativilca, Peru, Acuña played in local bands such as La Orquesta de los Hermanos Neci ...
,
Ray Parker Jr.
Ray Erskine Parker Jr. (born May 1, 1954) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. As a solo performer, he wrote and performed the theme song to the 1984 film '' Ghostbusters''. Previously, Parker achieved a US top-10 h ...
and many others. Formerly a full-time member of the
Zappa Plays Zappa
Zappa Plays Zappa is an American tribute act led by Dweezil Zappa, the elder son of late American composer and musician Frank Zappa, devoted to performing the music of Frank Zappa.
History
The band debuted in 2006 with shows in Europe, Canada ...
world tour, since 2019 Gonzalez has been touring with
Colin Hay
Colin James Hay (born 29 June 1953) is a Scottish-Australian musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and the sole continuous member of the band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist. Hay's music ha ...
as part of a revived and revamped
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1978 and best known for breakthrough hits such as "Down Under", "Who Can It Be Now?", "Be Good Johnny", " Overkill", and " It's a Mistake". Its founding member and frontman is Coli ...
lineup, where she sings and plays the
alto saxophone
The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in E, smaller than the B tenor ...
as well as several other instruments.
Biography
Gonzalez took
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
lessons from the age of four and changed to the saxophone at age twelve. After graduating from
Anaheim High School
Anaheim High School is a public, four-year high school in the city of Anaheim, California, United States and serves students
living in the Colony District of Anaheim. Anaheim High School was first established in 1898, which makes it the oldest o ...
in 1989, she attended
Fullerton College
Fullerton College (FC) is a Public college, public community college in Fullerton, California. The college is part of the California Community Colleges System and the North Orange County Community College District. Established in 1913, it is the ...
in the early 1990s and recorded on the
Downbeat
' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...
critically acclaimed CD ''
Mainstream
Mainstream may refer to:
Film
* ''Mainstream'' (film), a 2020 American film
Literature
* ''Mainstream'' (fanzine), a science fiction fanzine
* Mainstream Publishing, a Scottish publisher
* ''Mainstream'', a 1943 book by Hamilton Basso
Mu ...
''. She later transferred to
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge) is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. With a total enrollment of 38,551 students (as of Fall 2021), it has the second largest un ...
to complete her undergraduate degree in music. She sings and plays several
woodwind instrument
Woodwind instruments are a family of musical instruments within the greater category of wind instruments. Common examples include flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and saxophone. There are two main types of woodwind instruments: flutes and Reed ...
s and keyboards.
Gonzalez is the Director of Jazz Combos at Santa Susana Performing Arts High School in
Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley (; Chumash: ''Shimiyi'') is a city in the valley of the same name in the southeast region of Ventura County, California, United States. Simi Valley is from Downtown Los Angeles, making it part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The ...
, gives private lessons, and does freelance work in addition to her album, tour, and concert appearances. She was the co-founder of the all female jazz group
Dekajaz
Dekajaz was a 10 piece concert jazz band based in Los Angeles, California, Los Angeles. The group was critically acclaimed and most notably was founded to promote under-represented female jazz artists in the Southern California region much like t ...
which existed from 1999 - 2013.
Notable performances
From 2018 to the present, Gonzalez has played as a member of the backing band for
Colin Hay
Colin James Hay (born 29 June 1953) is a Scottish-Australian musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and the sole continuous member of the band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist. Hay's music ha ...
. In 2019, Hay revived the
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1978 and best known for breakthrough hits such as "Down Under", "Who Can It Be Now?", "Be Good Johnny", " Overkill", and " It's a Mistake". Its founding member and frontman is Coli ...
name and Gonzalez has continued to perform under that moniker ever since. Numerous reviews of the band's recent performances highlight her saxophone play on many of Hay's and
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1978 and best known for breakthrough hits such as "Down Under", "Who Can It Be Now?", "Be Good Johnny", " Overkill", and " It's a Mistake". Its founding member and frontman is Coli ...
's signature hit songs.
Gonzalez also performed on the
Zappa Plays Zappa
Zappa Plays Zappa is an American tribute act led by Dweezil Zappa, the elder son of late American composer and musician Frank Zappa, devoted to performing the music of Frank Zappa.
History
The band debuted in 2006 with shows in Europe, Canada ...
tour with
Dweezil Zappa
Dweezil Zappa (born Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa; September 5, 1969) is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor. He is the son of musical composer and performer Frank Zappa. Exposed to the music industry from an early age, Dweezil dev ...
, beginning with its 2006 inception. She received praise in the media for her instrumental performance and skill during those tours.
The show toured the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Australia.
Gonzalez has appeared on television shows such as ''
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'' backing
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks (born February 7, 1962) is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the co ...
and at the ''
BET
Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...
Music Awards''. Scheila Gonzalez has also done film work, appearing in the
Christopher Guest
Christopher Haden-Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest (born February 5, 1948) is an American-British screenwriter, composer, musician, director, actor, and comedian. Guest is most widely known in Hollywood for having written, directed, and starred in ...
film ''
For Your Consideration''.
Awards
Gonzalez won the Shelly Manne Memorial New Talent Award, a prestigious jazz music recognition awarded in the Los Angeles area. As a member of the Zappa Plays Zappa ensemble, Gonzalez won a 2009 Best Rock Instrumental Performance
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
for the group's recording of "Peaches en Regalia".
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez, Scheila
1971 births
American jazz saxophonists
American multi-instrumentalists
Living people
Musicians from Los Angeles
Women jazz saxophonists
Jazz musicians from California
21st-century American saxophonists
21st-century American women musicians
Dreamcar members
Men at Work members
Missing Persons (band) members
Zappa Plays Zappa members