Isaac Gutwilik

Born: Winnipeg, Canada 1956.
Upon his kindergarten graduation, a favorite aunt gave him a Perez Prado album and his own transistor radio, planting the seeds for his love of music. Going to bed with the radio secretly under his pillow he was able to pick up a Soul/R&B station from Little Rock, Arkansas. He was exposed to the music of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and James Brown. School offered him an immersion into the world of traditional Jewish and Hebrew chanting. By the age of 15, Isaac had picked up the alto sax, and the following year the vibraphone. An old conga however became his instrument of choice. Several years later, while living in Jerusalem, Isaac began serious conga studies with Jerry Garval, and became a member of the percussion ensemble at the Rubin Academy of Music. Among his classmates were many students from Brasil, Argentina, & Peru and together they formed a band performing latin & brazilian jazz. Isaac frequently was invited aspercussionist with the Air Fo!
rces Jazz unit. At the same time, (1978-80) Isaac became percussionist for Yemenite Choreographer/Singer Yitzhak Levy-Awami and performed the folk music of Yemen as a duo. In 1988, Isaac made the "pilgrimage" to Cuba for intensive training with the Conjunto Folklorico Nacional. A year later, moving to New York, Isaac continued studying afro-cuban percussion at the Harbor Conservatory and privately with the late Luis Andino. He has been freelancing in the New York area doing a wide variety of music. He also runs Funky Tradition Percussion, a rep. for JCR (cowbells, mule skins, bongos & congas).

PERFORMANCE
Dynasty Entertainment - Percussionist / Club Dates NY/NJ 1991 - present. Specializing in Latin, R&B, Jazz, Dance music. Have performed with Jimmy Sabater, Adela Dalto, Cecilia Tenconi, Mark Walker, Dan Reagen, Dave Kikoski, John Farnsworth and Nicky Marrero.
Hamuda Ali - reknowned Egyptian Violinist - Doumbek 1982
La Roque - Congas on Zambian Afropop recording Planet Jazz Ensemble - Latin & African flavored Jazz with Camerounian drummer Amos Bisseck (Manu Dibango)
Yitzhak Levy-Awami - traditional Yemeni music - Jerusalem 1978-79
David Amram - Composer/Conductor - hand drums, performed at the Winnipeg Folk Festival 1977
Black Circle Symphony - Percussion Ensemble, New Brunswick, NJ local concerts for community non-profit events 2004
Ahamed Alrodini (Oud & Vocals) - percussionist - Yemeni music 2004
Jim Lapidus - smooth jazz recording project 2004

PERCUSSION STUDIES
Rubin Academy - Percussion Dept. 1979 Harbor Conservatory, New York 1990, and 95-97 Latin Percussion studies with Ray Cruz, Jimmy Delgado, Luis Andino
Conjunto Folklorico Nacional - La'Habana, Cuba Summer 1988

PRIVATE STUDIES
Amelia Pedroso(Bata) Frank Colon (Airto, Manhattan Transfer, Gato Barbieri)
Bongos with Joe Gonzalez (Conga Kings, Chico O'Farill, Mario Bauza)
Nicky Marrero - advanced congas Yitzhak Levy-Awami - Yemeni and South Arabian rhythms

WORKSHOPS & CLINICS
Grupo Afrocuba de Matanzas, Los Hermanos Cepeda (Bomba & Plena),
Orestes Vilato, Chucho Valdez,
Ralph McDonald - Percussion in the Recording Studio
PAS - Latin Percussion Workshop w/ Eddie Montalvo, Nicky Marrero, Sal Cuevas and Eddie Martinez
Percussion Teachers Clinic - Leon "Ndugu" Chancellor - Sept 2000

updated at august 2004