Gil Gutiérrez Trio | Mother's Day Show
A virtuoso with the nylon string guitar since age 14, Gutiérrez is known throughout the industry as one of Mexico's finest musicians with an unimaginable artistry in merging classical, jazz, flamenco, and son Cubano. Gutiérrez is revered among his fellow musicians and has established an avid following throughout Latin America, South America, and Spain developing collaborations with superstars Ana Gabriel, Francisco Céspedes, Arturo Sandoval and many others.
Gutiérrez was recently featured on PBS American Masters - Never Too Late, a documentary focusing on the career of famed trumpeter and musical icon, Doc Severinsen. For over a decade, Gutiérrez served as Doc's musical Director for his band The San Miguel Five following Severinsen’s long stint as the colorful bandleader of NBC’s "Tonight Show with Johnny Carson." Severinsen introduced Gutiérrez to American audiences in over 100 concerts appearing at such notable venues as The Kennedy Center, the Mexican Embassy in Washigton D.C., Millennium Park in Chicago, and New York’s Carnegie Hall accompanied by the New York Pops.
Joining Gutiérrez on stage at the legendary Falcon is New Jersey's Dave Rodriguez (upright bass), a Grammy and Emmy nominated producer and performer. Rodriguez has performed at venues from Carnegie Hall to the Apollo Theater and has worked with artists ranging from Max Roach to Tito Puente to the Rochester Philharmonic. He is currently the Executive Producer at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) In Newark, NJ.
Violinist Bob Stern has performed with classical and pop artists, including Jerry Miller (Moby Grape), Charlie Prichard, and Laura Branigan.
Gil Gutiérrez:
At age fourteen he began playing classical guitar in restaurants in Oaxaca and caught the attention of German born guitarist Wolfgang "Lobo" Fink of Willie and Lobo. At 17, he teamed up with Fink to play venues in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. When Fink returned to Germany, Gutiérrez went to Mexico City to study jazz while earning money playing his guitar on city buses. The guitarist has played in South America and Spain with Ana Gabriel, Ricardo Ariona, Francisco Cespedes, and Pedro Guerra. As a soloist, Gutiérrez has performed with the Minnesota Symphony, Florida Symphony and with the Doc Severinsen Big Band Tour in the US and was a special guest soloist with Arturo Sandoval in Mexico City’s Palace of Fine Arts. In 2013, he was the featured artist and directed the ensemble at the Calaca Festival honoring the influential Costa Rican singer, Chavela Vargas in San Miguel de Allende. Among his works are performances of his original compositions with the New York Choral Society and scoring of several films including El Cochero, El Alcazar de Chapultepec and Una Causa Noble. Gutiérrez composed and performed the soundtrack for the documentary film Lost and Found in Mexico.
Gutiérrez talent was discovered by Doc Severinsen who heard him play at a restaurant in San Miguel de Allende. Severinsen led the NBC Orchestra for twenty years on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. They recorded their first album together in 2007 called En Mi Corazon. Gutierrez is the founder and musical director of the group the San Miguel 5 and along with Doc Severinsen, have performed with symphony orchestras across the United States. Other musicians of the San Miguel 5 include Grammy winning violinist Charlie Bisharat, Cuban percussionist Jimmy Branly and bass player Kevin Thomas. In 2011 Gil Gutiérrez and Doc Severinsen played at New York City's Carnegie Hall.
In addition to touring, Gutiérrez operates Zandunga, an outdoor live-music venue that he founded with his wife in the mountainous outskirts of the UNESCO World Heritage city, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Weekly, he brings together new combinations of international musicians and musical styles for audiences and visitors from around the world to enjoy.