Vivaz — the name means "vivacious" — is the Latin jazz band of Javier Gutierrez, a singer and guitarist from La Paz, Bolivia who came to New Orleans in the early 1980s for college and stayed. Before Vivaz he sang in the New Orleans Symphony Choir and led the eclectic band Acoustic Swiftness, which debuted at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1992; his mid-90s CD Molino earned him an OffBeat Award.
He formed Vivaz in 2001, an 11-piece outfit with an expansive percussion section, piano, bass, and a powerhouse brass section. The sound has Cuban roots — though, as OffBeat's review of Latin Caravan (2004) noted, amazingly none of the 11 members are from Cuba — covering salsa, flamenco, and cha-chas, with Gutierrez's guitar virtuosity and lead vocals out front.
Vivaz has performed at festivals and special events across the country and played the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival for 32 consecutive years. Gutierrez endorses Ball End, NV Gear, and Takamine guitar strings. The band plays French Quarter Festival 2026 on April 18 and holds down regular local dates at Dos Jefes and the House of Blues Foundation Room.
Between Gutierrez's incredible guitar virtuosity and lead vocals and the percussion, keyboards, bass and a killer horn section, there isn't a base left uncovered.
OffBeat, review of Latin Caravan
