David "COLONEL" Leis

This is "The Colonel" the fastest guitar player on earth. These are the fingers of a true genius who's lightning fast, jaw dropping guitar solo's contained on these pages will amaze you. Click on the links below for more of these truly incredible cuts from the most extraordinary guitar player of this or any century.

JAZZ TRACKS:

colonelclip1.mp3

colonelclip2.mp3

colonelclip3.mp3

colonelclip4.mp3

Recorded live on stage with Hal Russel's NRG in Chicago.

ROCK TRACK:

Get Out Of My Life

Rock track courtesy of Mule Dog Publishing

Read what his freinds and contemporaries have said about this truly phenomenal genius.

Click here for REVIEWS

A Forward by Sheila Vayenás :


IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME TO SEE THIS WEB SITE TO FRUITION AS DAVID'S ARTISTRY RAISES THE BAR FOR GUITARISTS TO WHERE IT SHOULD BE. ON A PERSONAL LEVEL, I WAS MARRIED TO HIM FOR FIVE YEARS AND THEY SAY NO ONE KNOWS A MAN BETTER THEN HIS WIFE. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HUMBLE ABOUT ALL OF THIS; THE REFERENCES TO HIM AS A GENIUS, THE ACCOLADES, THE RAMI LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, FRANKLY, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN EMBARRASSED. I BELIEVE THIS IS BECAUSE THE MUSIC CAME SO EASILY TO HIM.. BUT I SAW THAT HE NEVER EVER TOOK IT FOR GRANTED. HE WAS IMMENSELY AWARE OF THE GREATS AND STUDIED THEM RELENTLESSLY. NOT IN AN EFFORT TO COPY THEM BUT WITH RESPECT TO THOSE GUITARISTS WHO HELD THE BAR AS HIGH AS HE DID. HE WOULD LOCK HIMSELF IN A ROOM FOR DAYS STUDYING HIS INSTRUMENT PULLING OUT OF IT WHAT WAS IN HIS HEAD.

HE WAS VERY DISMAYED BY THE MID 1980'S AT THE ROAD MUSIC WAS ON. WE NEVER LISTENED TO THE RADIO AT ALL. THERE WAS NOTHING THERE FOR EITHER OF US AS FAR AS COMMERCIAL MUSIC WAS CONCERNED. HE DID, HOWEVER. TRULY LOVE ROCK AND ROLL. THERE WERE A FEW CHOSEN ROCK GUITAR PLAYERS HE HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM.

AS A VOICE TEACHER FOR DECADES HE ALWAYS USED TO TELL ME TO GIVE MY STUDENTS T SHIRTS THAT SAID 'GO HOME AND PRACTICE '! HE HAD NO TOLERENCE FOR THOSE WHO WERE NOT WILLING TO TOTALLY DEDICATE THEMSELVES TO THEIR ART, SO TEACHING WAS SOMETHING HE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN. HE WAS A HARD CORE PLAYER. REGARDLESS OF THE GENRE, JUST PUT HIM ON A STAGE AND HE WOULD BLOW YOU AWAY.

WHEN I FIRST MET DAVID IN 1979 I WAS AWARE THAT HE FELT HE OWED HIS AUDIENCES WHAT I CALL HIS 'FLASH'. HE WANTED TO PLEASE THEM AND GIVE THEM WHAT THEY CAME FOR: THE SPEED AND THE INCREDIBLE IMPROVISATION. WHEN WE MARRIED IN 1981 HE WAS HEARING ME SING A LOT. I AM A MELODY FREAK. THIS INFLUENCED HIM STRONGLY AND HIS APPROACH CHANGED. HE FELL IN LOVE WITH MELODY AND LEARNED TO EXPLOIT IT AND THEN ADD THE EVER PRESENT FLASH. ENTERTAINERS PLEASE THE AUDIENCE. ARTISTS PLEASE THEMSELVES. DAVID BECAME AN ARTIST.

I COULD WRITE PAGES AND PAGES OF ANECDOTES ABOUT LIFE WITH DAVID. HE WAS HILAREOUSLY FUNNY AND VERY TENDER. MY FONDEST MEMORIES ARE OF HIM COMING TO THE MENDELSSOHHN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER WHERE I TAUGHT TO SHOW ME THE LATEST ABUSED HUNGRY DOG HE HAD FOUND AND RESCUED. WE HAD A HOUSE FULL OF THEM. WE WERE BOTH VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT.

WE LOST HIM TOO SOON. HE HAD JUST REALLY BECOME SERIOUS ABOUT WRITING MUSIC. HE WAS LARGER THEN LIFE AND IT IS DIFFICULT FOR MANY TO REALIZE THAT HE IS GONE.

THE SNIPPETS OF HIS SOLOS ARE PRESERVED HERE FOREVER.

Sheila Vayenás June 16, 2009

Dave on stage with the original Wheezer Lockinger at The Poinette Pop FestivalDave at Charlotte's Web with Wheezer and Jim McDowell on BassDave at the Farm practice with Wheezer and Dale Brown on Bass Guitar and Jim Wells on GuitarOriginal Wheezer LockingerLast Wheezer Lockinger

David Leis, 57, died Feb. 26, 2009, at home.

Picture of David Leis

"The Colonel Plays on..."

Dave was known in Rockford as “The Colonel” and one of the fastest and best guitar players in the world. . He was the lead guitar player in the local band Wheezer Lockinger. In addition to being a great rock guitarist, Dave wrote classical piano music and painted landscapes. His former band members included Thomas Leary, Steve Ungs, Roger Wylie, Dean Reynolds, Dave Hanson, Ron Wylie, Bob Baran, Lindsey Myers, and Dale Brown. Dave left the Rockford area in the early 90's and spent the rest of his life playing in the Quad Cities. His charismatic personality and wit will be missed by all."

Dave received the Lifetime Achievement Award at: The 18th RAMI Awards Ceremony Thursday April 30th 2009- 7pm Tebala Shrine Temple 7910 Newburg Road

Picture of David's RAMI AWARD


For more information on Wheezer Lockinger, please visit

Wheezer Lockinger


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