ABOUT

Two decades of professional music experience in Richmond, Virginia and surrounding cities

His regular ensembles include:

Big Ray and the Kool Kats: Charlottesville’s top high-end wedding band, serving clients in the mid-atlantic region and beyond. Booked every weekend, almost entirely for private events

Liberation Church: an inclusive Christian church with historic Richmond roots that features dynamic, gospel-influenced performances. It livestreams service every Sunday and many special events throughout the week at maximum production value. A pillar of the southside Richmond community

Chap Cash: a variety singer and guitarist with particular emphasis on classic country repertoire like Hank Sr., George Strait, and Merle Haggard, mixed with modern Americana like Tyler Childers. He has an aggressive performance schedule largely centered on the Powhatan, South Hill, and Farmville communities

Baby Jo’s: a jump blues ensemble featuring washboard and a diverse horn line composed of professionals in the Charlottesville and Richmond regions. Virtuosic soloing combined with the danceability of swing and old rock n’ roll. Lead by Charlottesville vocalist and keyboardist Betty Jo Dominick. Known for their Monday-night residency at the Whiskey Jar on the Downtown Charlottesville Mall

Breakfast Cabaret Orchestra: an ultra-diverse world music group lead by Richmond accordion wizard Barry Bless and vocalist/dancer/percussionist Twila Jane Ramblethorn. Plays klezmer, arrangements of Eric Satie and Led Zeppelin, Barry’s originals, and just about anything else. Frequently showcases guest artists from the Richmond jazz scene. Known for a high degree of improvisation, their longtime residencies at southside establishments like Crossroads and Brewer’s, and their colorful aesthetic involving audience participation in themed clothing choices

Django Tango: authentic gypsy jazz ensemble in the style of Django Reinhardt. Led by Richmond guitarist Russ Hanchin. Takes you to a 1930s Paris cafe. Known for their residency at Legend Brewery in southside Richmond and a rotating cast of Richmond-based swing players

Freddy is a multi-instrumentalist who employs guitar, keys, percussion, voice, and synthetic instrumentation in both performance and studio settings. His solo guitar performances range from swing and bop American songbook jazz guitar to reimagined 80's rock hits and modern pop like Taylor Swift. In Richmond, he is known for participating equally in the jazz and soul/gospel communities, seeing them as two sides of the same coin. High-profile soul band gigs included opening for the Richmond Symphony at the East End Festival in Chimbarazo Park with soul variety band Roxbury (2017), opening for mayor Levar Stoney at the Heart of the East End fundraiser with soul group Brown’s Island, and performing lead guitar for Lady E and the Blues Synsations at the 28th Annual Down Home Family Reunion in Church Hill (2018), along with numerous experiences playing in historic Black Richmond churches of every size.

Freddy interprets and improvises music of every style, and is fluent in both ear and notation. He performed improvised accompaniments to dance classes for Melanie Richards, Judith K. Steel, and Autumn Proctor Waddell at Virginia Commonwealth University (2013-4). He performed extensively in musical theater, playing guitar and ukelele in the pit orchestras of VCU (2016), the Richmond Triangle Players, the Swift Creek Mill Theater (2017), and the Fort Lee playhouse (2018).

Freddy trained throughout his life in classical and jazz traditions, beginning with piano lessons from his mother at four years old. He studied Suzuki violin and performed in local recitals from age 10, as a second violinist in Sinfonietta and, later, the Youth Concert Orchestra under the Richmond Symphony.

In high school, his transferred his passion wholeheartedly into guitar and composition, memorably improvising a blues solo at Tim Kaine's gubernatorial in Williamsburg with the Maggie L. Walker jazz ensemble under the direction of Taylor Barnett—they opened for the Beach Boys (2006)—and starting his first rock bands. At Virginia Commonwealth University, he participated in and absorbed influences from the eclectic downtown Richmond music scene. During this time, he developed his guitar playing under the tutelage of master guitarist and jazz educator Mike Ess. Freddy graduated Virginia Commonwealth University in 2014 with a B.A. in Music and—having had so many teachers in his life—very naturally became an educator for over ten years. His heavy performance schedule lately has allowed little time to teach.

Freddy has been involved in music production for over ten years, culminating in his studio, Arresterfield Productions.