While most choose their paths in life, Gabriel Bello clearly had no choice: he was always meant to be nothing less than a formidable musical force.
Gabriel’s musical journey began in Lawrence, Massachusetts where Gabriel’s Dominican father, a percussionist, helped form his son’s earliest musical memories. Childhood would later find Gabriel discovering his own musicianship when the family moved to DeLand, Florida where Gabriel sang in church choirs and learned a range of instruments including flute, saxophone, and piano. Outside of church, Gabriel maintained a steady diet of his parents’ musical culture coupled with the pop and jazz icons of the day including Michael Jackson, Grover Washington Jr., Stevie Wonder, Toto, Chuck Mangione, and David Sanborn.
These musical guideposts led Gabriel to study music at Lee University in Tennessee, but a cancer diagnosis, subsequent months of treatment, and an eventual miraculous healing after playing a concert with worship artist Ron Kenoly set Gabriel on a new path to full-time music ministry. Extensive work with churches throughout the Southeast allowed Gabriel to hone his instrumental, vocal, and engineering abilities, skills which would serve him well in his new destination: the Nashville Music scene. During his tenure in Nashville, Gabriel played on and produced a number of sessions for Kings Mountain Records including two No. 1 Billboard singles, Crystal Dove’s “Until You Come Back to Me” and Temar Underwood’s “Inside Out.” His Nashville period also found Gabriel performing and collaborating with a range of artists including Alvin Slaughter, Gary Oliver, Ron Kenoly, Geron Davis, Christ Church Choir, Jentzen Franklin, and Rascal Flatts. Just before leaving Nashville to pursue a solo career, Gabriel was a finalist to be musical director for American Idol winner Carrie Underwood’s first tour and was also approached to be Kellie Pickler’s musical director.
The path of the solo artist has seen Gabriel bring his inconceivable level of talent as a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and engineer to bear on a 2011 self-titled debut that occupied the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Charts for eleven weeks. Additionally, Gabriel’s debut release unseated Michael Buble’ from the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Jazz Charts.
Outside of his solo career, Gabriel’s abilities have made him an in-demand choir and worship leader, earned him a 2012 SESAC Honors Award for album sales and publishing, and found him producing, mixing, mastering, and performing with artists like Pastor James R. Adams and the Abounding Life Church of God in Christ’s on their release “Times of Refreshing” which ranked fourth on the Billboard Gospel Albums Chart. His first Christian/Gospel album & second solo release “Miracle”, named after the miraculous birth of his first child Evangeline Grace, saw him sharing the stage with Israel Houghton, Tye Tribbett, Tasha Cobbs & Kierra “Kiki” Sheard. He also tours and performs internationally with his tribute shows “Natural Wonder - The Music of Stevie Wonder” & “Bless The Rains - The Ultimate Toto Tribute Experience”
In recent years, Gabriel has been a featured saxophonist on Gaither Vocal Band member David Phelps song “Last Night on Earth”. He has also written, arranged and lead orchestral and brass sections for Elevation Church and Elevation Worship Christmas and Easter Celebrations along with being a featured solo saxophonist.
Gabriel was blessed to put together a large worship team consisting of over 20 members(rhythm section, brass, choir) for televised praise and worship with INSP.
Gabriel has also been honored to serve as accompanist and ft saxophonist internationally with CCM and Integrity Hosanna! Music legend Paul Wilbur, bringing worship to global audiences and strengthening churches across denominational lines from Messianic congregations Jacob’s Tent with Gabriel’s mentor Bill Cloud, to Beth Israel with world renowned author and Rabbi, Jonathan Cahn, and congregations all over Latin America.
With a wealth of accomplishments and accolades behind him in fields spanning the music industry and a host of genres, Gabriel Bello, a consummate performer, composer, and producer, continues to venture where his talents and faith take him.
Gabriel is a proud endorser of:
Cannonball Musical Instruments Saxophones
64 Audio In-Ear Monitors
CLOUDVOCAL Wireless Saxophone Microphones
Phenyx Pro Audio
(SA5-BR) Big Bell® Stone Series® ARC® Soprano (Brute®)
Aged-Brass Patina
(T5-B) Big Bell® Stone Series® Tenor
Polished Black-Nickel Body and Key
(A5) Big Bell® Stone Series® Alto (Mad Meg) Unlacquered Body and Keys
(A5-R) Big Bell® Stone Series® Alto
Black Ruby Lacquer Body and Keys
64 Audio A-6- 6 Driver In-Ear Monitors
Adel Series A6(6 driver) & V Series Model Qi(4 driver)