Quotes & Reviews
“Absolutely masterful examples of playing and arranging for solo acoustic fingerstyle guitar.”
David Barrett – Jan., 2006
Toronto Fingerstyle Guitar Association
"Breezy virtuosity as a solo guitarist”
The material is so catchy ... and Gillis's presentation is so amiable.
Robert Doerschuk
Winner of two ASCAP Deems Taylor Awards for excellence in music journalism
“He demonstrates many facets of his extraordinary talent as a guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and producer. This is especially evident in his wonderfully bittersweet melodies woven with poignant lyrical observations and inspirations...”
Diane Wells — www.701.com, Washington Blues Society
"David Gillis's music is uplifting the soul with beautiful
sound-palettes with swing and groove which invite one
to dance."The dobro is played in a heart- rendering
intimate soothing ambiance, with fantastic skills"
Henk te Veldhuis
Bridge Guitar Reviews
"Gillis has an attractive, off-beat, plaintive voice and a penchant for bizarre lyrics...
It’s pretty damn strong debut and time will only further hone his considerable talents."
Barry Hammond –
Penguin Eggs - Winter 2003
"I have known David Gillis for a number of years and have performed with
him on many occasions. He is a wonderfully skillful guitarist with a
keen melodic sense and formidable arranging and compositional skills.
I recently had the pleasure of transcribing David's arrangement of the
theme from Spiderman for Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine, and was impressed
by his imaginative harmonic vocabulary and technical prowess."
Jason Fowler
Songwriter/Guitarist
" As I listen to David Gillis, I keep wondering-- why isn't this guy famous already? He's that good. His production style is refreshing, yet familiar, with touches of Tom Petty, Dylan, and the Beatles, and his deft lyrics aim straight toward our hearts. Everyone's complaining about the dismal state of pop music on the radio these days. Let's get David's music on there and give them a reason to listen again!"
Pat Kirtley
Award-Winning Internationally Acclaimed Fingerstlye Guitarist,
Taylor Guitar Clinician
"Makes you think of Jackson Brown, the way he sings. But of course it’s David Gillis with his own perspective on depth, and an award-winning guitar style. He comes of his reputation honestly, with a strong musical tradition in his family. The quality of performance of his supporting musicians is a further testament to the level of respect David receives from his peers. He is known as a ‘musician’s musician’. His recent cd, When You’ve Got A Dream accentuates his profound talent".
Mariposa Folk Festival
"I recently received a promotional package in the mail from David Gillis containing his CD, 'When You've Got A Dream'. At first glance, I admit, I was skeptical. It's like when you hear about a movie and that it's really good only when you go see it, it's mediocre at best. I had read some decent reviews about David, but to be honest, I was approaching this with a critical ear. The one song I was REALLY looking forward to hearing was his wild Flamenco arrangement of the Theme from Spiderman. That's right...the theme from Spiderman. As I write this, I've checked Amazon.com and the song is ranked 12th out of thousands of song downloads! Now THAT'S impressive! As for the arrangement, it's truly addictive and a great showcase for his ability as a guitarist. Now whether it's by pure coincidence that this is out at the same time as the movie release or a planned event, it's pure genius. Why can't I think of stuff like this?
Anyway, let's get down to the music...
I'm going to focus mainly on his guitar playing here. There are 3 instrumentals on the album and all equally great. I find the wide spectrum of his style quite refreshing to listen to. You don't get 11 tracks of repetition. You do get a decent flavor of folk, celtic, flamenco and modern styles. His playing is solid and easy on the ears. I like the fact that there is nothing overpowering in his music. Track 9 - Slam The Door is one of those classic tunes that puts you into a daydream state every time you hear it. This CD is a real lesson in balance. Mellow without droning chords, impressive without the nuclear fallout leads. I recommend buying the CD simply for the last track called Twirl, Twirl Little Girl. His originality permeates his style completely. This is a 'Must Have' for all you fingerstyle guitarist/composers out there. There's no question in my mind that we will be hearing more of David Gillis.
No, David, you can't have the CD back. This one's a keeper!"
Dave Alexander - Editor
Canadian Guitar Players Association
http://www.guitarassociation.org
"David Gillis is an exceptional and engaging guitar player,
skillfully blending powerful fingerstyle technique with insightful
original songwriting and a knack for injecting appropriate traditional material as well".
Doug Gibson
CKWR fm 98.5, Waterloo