Gil Gutiérrez and a Place Called Zandunga / By Rebecca Kalmehar

Longitude 100 37’25.50 West and Latitude 20 48’ 47.44 North at 7,087 feet altitude just outside San Miguel de Allende, along the Jalpa valley road, where mountains rise to the south and boys herd Brahma bulls, almost smack dab in the middle of Mexico – this is his place. Gil Gutierrez can play guitar anywhere in the world he wants. He has played in Carnegie Hall and as a soloist with symphony orchestras in the United States. He’s toured Latin America, Spain and Mexico with pop stars Francisco Céspedes, Ana Gabriel, Ricardo Arjona and Pedro Guerra and toured with Doc Severinsen.
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Doc Severinsen & The San Miguel Five

“Severinsen certainly is… among the greatest trumpeters of our time.”
By Mimi Beck Knudsen, Reno Gazette-Journal, July 18, 2011.

The vivacious trumpeter and bandleader Doc Severinsen leads the San Miguel Five in an evening of sophisticated Latin rhythms and jazz. It is virtuoso classical Spanish with a jazz flair, gorgeous ballads, both Latino and American, plus some great movie music and some gypsy jazz, à la Django Reinhardt.
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Portrait of the Artist: Gil Gutiérrez

I studied at a fine art school. I was doing sculpture with stone when I was 9 years old. Then I was painting for a couple of years, doing ceramics as well. Then when I was almost 12 I started playing cello a lot of cello, but i didn’t have a cello at the time so Ihad to wait all the time in school for a cello when one was free. Then I moved to piano and took lessons, but we didn’t have a piano. Then I played the guitar, guitars were cheap.

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Doc Severinsen, Latest Band in Fine Form / By Alan Adams

Twenty years have passed since Doc Severinsen ended his 30-year stint on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.” Judging by the average age in the intimate Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, most – if not all – of the near-capacity audience fondly remember the show and its charismatic trumpet player and band leader.

Severinsen was nearing the end of a brief tour with his latest aggregation, the San Miguel 5. This is not a pickup band. It doesn’t boast typical quintet instrumentation nor does it perform familiar crowd-pleasing tunes. In addition to Severinsen, the group consists of guitarist Gil Gutiérrez, violinist Charles Bisharat, percussionist Jimmy Branly and bassist Kevin Thomas.

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Doc Severinsen & The San Miguel 5 / By Edhat Subscriber

Trumpeter Doc Severinsen and guitarrist Gil Gutiérrez headed for the lobby to autograph CD’s following their outstanding San Miguel 5 Performance at the Granada Theatre, where they received a standing ovation from an enthusiastic audience who thoroughly enjoyed the exciting new sound the group has created. Charlie Bisharat, violinist for the group was beyond amazing, and chatter from young women in the ladies lounge was that he was gorgeous and extremely talented. Cuban born Jimmy Branly pulled out all the stops during his solo drum performance. Kevin Thomas, bass player created a sound that synergized beautifully with his ‘brothers’ in the band.
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