Freddie Lonzo is a much-revered jazz trombonist and long-time member of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. His enthusiastic personality and sly musical commentaries add energy and style to any stage he graces. Lonzo weaves the seminal stylings of Kid Ory and other pioneers into his own style, and he is an energetic and respected practitioner of the traditional “tailgate” trombone style (from the days when trombonists had to sit on the tailgates of the trucks that carried street bands). Lonzo has played around the world and with a jazz Who’s Who: Doc Cheatham, Wynton Marsalis, Alvin Alcorn, Dr. Michael White, Doc Paulin’s Brass Band, Harold Dejan’s Olympia Brass Band, and the seminal funk group The Gladiators, which still performs today as the Batiste Brothers Band.

Lonzo’s style reflects his childhood in New Orleans’ music-rich Central City neighborhood, where legends like drummer Ed Blackwell practiced just down the street, choirs sang in corner churches, and brass bands could roll through at any time. Lonzo told biographer Alison Fensterstock, “You know, in New Orleans, almost any day you’re going to bump into some music somewhere, some band playing, marching, or just standing on the street.” Lonzo picked up the trombone at age 14 and was fortunate to be shepherded by strong junior and senior high school band directors. By his teens he was playing in several groups, including the Olympia Brass Band, which fostered many Preservation Hall musicians. He also played with the Gladiators, which was developing the new funk sounds at clubs around the area, including a gig opening for the Temptations.

As a young adult, Lonzo hit the Bourbon Street clubs, eventually ending up with drummer Bob French, first in the Storyville Jazz Band and later in the historic Tuxedo Jazz Band, playing with folks like pianist Ellis Marsalis and trumpeter Teddy Riley. He also gigged relentlessly in various parading brass bands, and soon became a go-to musician, playing at Donna’s, the Palm Court, and, eventually ending up at Preservation Hall. Lonzo has been affiliated with the venerable institution for many years as a member of the house and touring bands, and is now one of the 60 musicians who make up the Preservation Hall Musical Collective, serving as a Preservation Hall Foundation Legacy Member.