Avi Bortnick started guitar lessons when he was 7.  After graduating from Berkley he started playing with various funk, African and Caribbean bands in the San Francisco Bay Area.  In 1994, he started the funk band What It Is. They became quite popular in the Southeast, but eventually the band packed up and moved to California. They released two records, When Groove Was King and Soul Pop. Later he joine forces with John Scofield.  They  traveled the world and made two happening records.

Currently Avi is living and giging in NY and working on Cornpone (an "afro-country" four-piece with Andy Hess of Gov't Mule, Tony Mason on drums and Daniel Mintseris on keys) as well as Shitty Shitty Jam Band(with Jesse Murphy, Aaron Johnston (1/2 of the fab group Brazilian Girls), Shawn Pelton from SNL), Lemon, Michael Leonhart, Jihae and Betty Black.

For more information on Avi visit  www.myspace.com/avibortnick