Alex Guillen

About

Hi, I am an acoustic guitarist/composer & arranger with almost 20 years of professional playing experience in the San Diego area. My dad first showed me how to strum my first chord on his Spanish Guitar when I was 12 years old and I've been hooked on that beautiful sound ever since!

I am a very versatile guitarist and who is comfortable playing many different styles of music from Classical, Flamenco, & Latin Jazz to Jazz standards, Bossa Nova, Mariachi, World Music and beyond. When I perform my original music compositions they have been described as having "exciting guitar passages coupled with enchanting melodies that creates a sound that lingers in the listener's ear long after the performance is over."

As a solo performer, I can either perform totally acoustic or if you would like a more full-bodied sound, I can perform with backing tracks that I record live with my guitar pedal to give the illusion of having more than one person playing at once. Whether I'm playing background ambient music for a corporate event or performing on stage in front of an attentive audience, you can rest assured of my commitment to you to always be punctual, courteous and professional.

Song List
JAZZ STANDARDS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
All Blues - Miles Davis
All Of Me - Seymour Simons
All The Things You Are - Jerome Kern
Angel Eyes - Matt Dennis
Au Privave - Charlie Parker
Autumn Leaves - Joseph Kosma
Bessie's Blues - John Coltrane
Black Coffee - Paul Francis Webster
Black Orpheus - Luiz Bonfa
Blue Bossa - Kenny Durham
Blue Monk - Thelonious Monk
Blue Skies - Irving Berlin
Blue Train (Blue Trane) - John Coltrane
Blues For Alice - Charlie Parker
Bluesette - Jean Thielemans
Bye Bye Blackbird - Ray Henderson & Mort Dixon
But Beautiful - Jimmy Vanheusen
"C" Jam Blues - Duke Ellington
Ceora - Lee Morgan
Chega De Suadade (No More Blues) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Chelsea Bridge - Billy Strayhorn
Cherokee (Indian Love Song) - Ray Noble
Cotton Tail - Duke Ellington
Darn That Dream - Jimmy Vanheusen
Days Of Wine And Roses - Henry Mancini
Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Duke Ellington
Doxy - Sonny Rollins
Dream A Little Dream Of Me - Wilbur Schwandt
Easy To Love - Cole Porter
Embraceable You - Goerge Gershwin
A Fine Romance - Jerome Kern
500 Miles High - Chick Corea
Flinstone's Theme - Bryson & Goldberg
Fly Me To The Moon - Bart Howard
Footprints - Wayne Shorter
Four On Six - Wes Montgomery
Freddie Freeloader - Miles Davis
Georgia On My Mind - Ray Charles
The Girl From Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Have You Met Miss Jones - Richard Rogers
How High The Moon - Morgan Lewis
How Insensitive (Insensatez) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
I Can't Give You Anything But Love - Jimmy McHugh
I Could Wright A Book - Richard Rogers
I Hear A Rhapsody - Jim Hall
I Love You - Cole Porter
I'm Beginning To See The Light - Don George & Duke Ellington
Impressions - John Coltrane
In A Sentimental Mood - Duke Ellington
Invitation - Paul Francis Webster
Isn't It Romantic? - Richard Rodgers
Is You Is - Or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby)
It Could Happen To You - Jimmy Van Huessen
It Don't Mean A Thing - Duke Ellington
It's Only Paper Moon - Harold Arlen
Jordu - Duke Jordan
Joy Spring - Clifford Brown
Killer Joe - Benny Golson
Love For Sale - Cole Porter
Lullaby Of Birdland - George Shearing
Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock
Meditation (Meditacao) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Misty - Erroll Garner
Moment's Notice - John Coltrane
Morning - Claire Fischer
My Favorite Things - Richard Rodgers
My Foolish Hear - Victor Young
My Funny Valentine - Richard Rodgers
My Romance - Richard Rodgers
My Shining Hour - Harold Arlen
My Way - Jacques Revaux
Nica's Dream - Horace Silver
Night And Day - Cole Porter
A Night In Tunisia - John "Dizzy" Gillespie
Nuages - Django Reinhardt
Out Of Nowhere - Johnny Green
Recorda-Me - Joe Henderson
Satin Doll - Duke Ellington
Scrapple From The Apple - Charlie Parker
Softly As In The Morning Sunrise - Hammerstein & Romberg
So Nice (Summer Samba) - Marcos Valle
Sugar - Stanley Turrentine
Summertime - Ella Fitzgerald
Sweet Georgia Brown - Bernie/Pinkard & Casey
Take Five - Paul Desmon
Take The "A" Train - Billy Strayhorn & Duke Ellington
Tenor Madness - Sonny Rollins
That's Amore (That's Love) - Harry Warren
There Is No Greater Love - Isham Jones
There Will Never Be Another You - Harry Warren
Unchain My Heart - Bobby Sharp
Waltz For Debby - Bill Evans
Well You Needn't (It's Over Now) - Thelonious Monk
When Sunny Gets Blue - Marvin Fischer
Whem You Wish Upon A Star - Leigh Harline
Yesterday - John Lennon & Paul McCartney
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To - Cole Porter
You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You - Russ Morgan
BRAZILIAN JAZZ/BOSSA NOVA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Agua De Beber (Water To Drink) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Brazil - S.K. Russell
A Day In The Life Of A Fool (Manha De Carnaval) - Luiz Bonfa
Desafinado - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Gental Rain - Astrud Gilberto
Groovy Samba - Sergio Mendes
Jazz N' Samba (So Danco Samba) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Mas Que Nada - Sergio Mendes
Meditation - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Once I Loved (Amor Em Paz) (Love In Peace) - A.C. Jobim
One Note Samba - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Samba De Orpheo (Samba De Orpheus) - Luiz Bonfa
Samba Pa' Ti - Carlos Santana
She's A Carioca - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Triste - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Wave - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Whatch What Happens - Michel Le Grand
LATIN JAZZ/SPANISH CLASSICS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Afro Blue - Mongo Santamaria
Armando's Rumba - Chick Corea
Besame Mucho - Consuelo Valazquez
Bruca Manigua - Arsenio Rodriguez
Chan Chan - Buena Vista Social Club
Cielito Lindo - Carlos Fernandez
Compadre Pedro Juan - Luis Alberti
Contigo En La Distancia - Cesar Portillo de La Luz
El Bodeguero - Orquesta Arangon
El Cumbanchero - Rafael Hernandez
El Manisero - Moises Simons
Guadalajara - Pepe Guizar
Guantanamera - Celia Cruz
Juan Pachanga - Ruben Blades
Malaguena - Ernesto Lecuona
La Bamba - Ritchie Valens
Lagrimas Negras - Miguel Matamoros
Mambo #5 - Perez Prado
Mambo #8 - Perez Prado
Mambo Influenciado - Jesus "Chucho" Valdes
Mambo Inn - Mario Bauza
Oye Como Va - Tito Puente
Para Cochero - Miguel Angel Banguela
Picadillo - Tito Puente
Pefidia - Alberto Dominguez
Ran Kan Kan - Tito Puente
Rico Vacilon - Rosendo Ruiz
Solamente Una Vez - Agustin Laura
Spanish Eyes - Burt Kaempfert
Son De La Loma - Miguel Matamoros
Song For My Father - Horace Silver
St. Thomas - Sonny Rollins
Suavecito - Orquesta Sensacion
Sway (Quien Sera) - Pablo Beltran Ruiz
Tico Tico (Tico No Fuba) - Zequinha Abreu
Tres Lindas Cubanas - Orquesta Aragon
Quando Quando Quando (Tell Me When) - Tony Renis
Quizas Quizas Quizas (Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps) - O. Farres
Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock

Personnel

Alex Guillen: Guitarist

Influences

Santana, Paco de Lucia, Chucho Valdes, Strunz & Farah, Gipsy Kings, Andres Segovia, Julian Bream, Luis Bonfa, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Mariachi Music, Luis Miguel, Boleros and Afro Cuban music, Latin Jazz, Swing, Jazz, Classical.

What to Expect

Typical Gig Duration: 45 - 300 minutes

I am a very versatile guitarist and who is comfortable playing many different styles of music from Classical, Flamenco, & Latin Jazz to Jazz standards, Bossa Nova, Mariachi, World Music and beyond. When I perform my original music compositions they have been described as having "exciting guitar passages coupled with enchanting melodies that creates a sound that lingers in the listener's ear long after the performance is over."

As a solo performer, I can either perform totally acoustic or if you would like a more full-bodied sound, I can perform with backing tracks that I record live with my guitar pedal to give the illusion of having more than one person playing at once. Whether I'm playing background ambient music for a corporate event or performing on stage in front of an attentive audience, you can rest assured of my commitment to you to always be punctual, courteous and professional.

Stage/Setup Requirements:
None. I bring everything that is required.

Additional Notes:
I will provide any needed amplification. I can use a portable battery powered for outdoor events and have a microphone for you to use if you require it for no additional charge.

Set/Song/Sequence List:
I can learn any song and will play it for you as a special request if you like.

Here is my current Song List:

JAZZ STANDARDS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
All Blues - Miles Davis
All Of Me - Seymour Simons
All The Things You Are - Jerome Kern
Angel Eyes - Matt Dennis
Au Privave - Charlie Parker
Autumn Leaves - Joseph Kosma
Bessie's Blues - John Coltrane
Black Coffee - Paul Francis Webster
Black Orpheus - Luiz Bonfa
Blue Bossa - Kenny Durham
Blue Monk - Thelonious Monk
Blue Skies - Irving Berlin
Blue Train (Blue Trane) - John Coltrane
Blues For Alice - Charlie Parker
Bluesette - Jean Thielemans
Bye Bye Blackbird - Ray Henderson & Mort Dixon
But Beautiful - Jimmy Vanheusen
"C" Jam Blues - Duke Ellington
Ceora - Lee Morgan
Chega De Suadade (No More Blues) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Chelsea Bridge - Billy Strayhorn
Cherokee (Indian Love Song) - Ray Noble
Cotton Tail - Duke Ellington
Darn That Dream - Jimmy Vanheusen
Days Of Wine And Roses - Henry Mancini
Don't Get Around Much Anymore - Duke Ellington
Doxy - Sonny Rollins
Dream A Little Dream Of Me - Wilbur Schwandt
Easy To Love - Cole Porter
Embraceable You - Goerge Gershwin
A Fine Romance - Jerome Kern
500 Miles High - Chick Corea
Flinstone's Theme - Bryson & Goldberg
Fly Me To The Moon - Bart Howard
Footprints - Wayne Shorter
Four On Six - Wes Montgomery
Freddie Freeloader - Miles Davis
Georgia On My Mind - Ray Charles
The Girl From Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Have You Met Miss Jones - Richard Rogers
How High The Moon - Morgan Lewis
How Insensitive (Insensatez) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
I Can't Give You Anything But Love - Jimmy McHugh
I Could Wright A Book - Richard Rogers
I Hear A Rhapsody - Jim Hall
I Love You - Cole Porter
I'm Beginning To See The Light - Don George & Duke Ellington
Impressions - John Coltrane
In A Sentimental Mood - Duke Ellington
Invitation - Paul Francis Webster
Isn't It Romantic? - Richard Rodgers
Is You Is - Or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby)
It Could Happen To You - Jimmy Van Huessen
It Don't Mean A Thing - Duke Ellington
It's Only Paper Moon - Harold Arlen
Jordu - Duke Jordan
Joy Spring - Clifford Brown
Killer Joe - Benny Golson
Love For Sale - Cole Porter
Lullaby Of Birdland - George Shearing
Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock
Meditation (Meditacao) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Misty - Erroll Garner
Moment's Notice - John Coltrane
Morning - Claire Fischer
My Favorite Things - Richard Rodgers
My Foolish Hear - Victor Young
My Funny Valentine - Richard Rodgers
My Romance - Richard Rodgers
My Shining Hour - Harold Arlen
My Way - Jacques Revaux
Nica's Dream - Horace Silver
Night And Day - Cole Porter
A Night In Tunisia - John "Dizzy" Gillespie
Nuages - Django Reinhardt
Out Of Nowhere - Johnny Green
Recorda-Me - Joe Henderson
Satin Doll - Duke Ellington
Scrapple From The Apple - Charlie Parker
Softly As In The Morning Sunrise - Hammerstein & Romberg
So Nice (Summer Samba) - Marcos Valle
Sugar - Stanley Turrentine
Summertime - Ella Fitzgerald
Sweet Georgia Brown - Bernie/Pinkard & Casey
Take Five - Paul Desmon
Take The "A" Train - Billy Strayhorn & Duke Ellington
Tenor Madness - Sonny Rollins
That's Amore (That's Love) - Harry Warren
There Is No Greater Love - Isham Jones
There Will Never Be Another You - Harry Warren
Unchain My Heart - Bobby Sharp
Waltz For Debby - Bill Evans
Well You Needn't (It's Over Now) - Thelonious Monk
When Sunny Gets Blue - Marvin Fischer
Whem You Wish Upon A Star - Leigh Harline
Yesterday - John Lennon & Paul McCartney
You Are The Sunshine Of My Life - Stevie Wonder
You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To - Cole Porter
You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You - Russ Morgan
BRAZILIAN JAZZ/BOSSA NOVA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Agua De Beber (Water To Drink) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Brazil - S.K. Russell
A Day In The Life Of A Fool (Manha De Carnaval) - Luiz Bonfa
Desafinado - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Gental Rain - Astrud Gilberto
Groovy Samba - Sergio Mendes
Jazz N' Samba (So Danco Samba) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Mas Que Nada - Sergio Mendes
Meditation - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Once I Loved (Amor Em Paz) (Love In Peace) - A.C. Jobim
One Note Samba - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado) - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Samba De Orpheo (Samba De Orpheus) - Luiz Bonfa
Samba Pa' Ti - Carlos Santana
She's A Carioca - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Triste - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Wave - Antonio Carlos Jobim
Whatch What Happens - Michel Le Grand
LATIN JAZZ/SPANISH CLASSICS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Afro Blue - Mongo Santamaria
Armando's Rumba - Chick Corea
Besame Mucho - Consuelo Valazquez
Bruca Manigua - Arsenio Rodriguez
Chan Chan - Buena Vista Social Club
Cielito Lindo - Carlos Fernandez
Compadre Pedro Juan - Luis Alberti
Contigo En La Distancia - Cesar Portillo de La Luz
El Bodeguero - Orquesta Arangon
El Cumbanchero - Rafael Hernandez
El Manisero - Moises Simons
Guadalajara - Pepe Guizar
Guantanamera - Celia Cruz
Juan Pachanga - Ruben Blades
Malaguena - Ernesto Lecuona
La Bamba - Ritchie Valens
Lagrimas Negras - Miguel Matamoros
Mambo #5 - Perez Prado
Mambo #8 - Perez Prado
Mambo Influenciado - Jesus "Chucho" Valdes
Mambo Inn - Mario Bauza
Oye Como Va - Tito Puente
Para Cochero - Miguel Angel Banguela
Picadillo - Tito Puente
Pefidia - Alberto Dominguez
Ran Kan Kan - Tito Puente
Rico Vacilon - Rosendo Ruiz
Solamente Una Vez - Agustin Laura
Spanish Eyes - Burt Kaempfert
Son De La Loma - Miguel Matamoros
Song For My Father - Horace Silver
St. Thomas - Sonny Rollins
Suavecito - Orquesta Sensacion
Sway (Quien Sera) - Pablo Beltran Ruiz
Tico Tico (Tico No Fuba) - Zequinha Abreu
Tres Lindas Cubanas - Orquesta Aragon
Quando Quando Quando (Tell Me When) - Tony Renis
Quizas Quizas Quizas (Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps) - O. Farres
Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock

Experience

2012: 50 gigs

Available for Your

Anniversary Party, Awards Night, Baby Shower, Bachelor Party, Band Member Wanted, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Party, Bar/Lounge, Birthday Party, Bridal Shower, Casino, Casting Call, Christmas Party, Church Service, Club/Nightclub, Competition, Concert Venue, Convention, Corporate Event, Cruise, Dinner Dance, Ethnic Celebration, Fair, Festival, Fundraiser, Funeral Service, Graduation, Grand Opening, Halloween Party, Hotel, Launch Party, Luncheon/Tea, Other, Parade, Private Party, Prom, Quinceañera, Religious Celebration, Restaurant, Retreat, Reunion, Seminar, Sporting Event, Studio Session, Sweet 16 Party, Trade Show, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Reception, Workshop