Dave Paris: Guitar Composer

Read the Band's Bio: Dave Paris Group Members

Dave Paris: All Things Guitar

Versatility: this has always been the goal of Cedar Rapids, Iowa guitarist Dave Paris. From the formable years of Dave’s playing, he has always sought to be the type of guitarist who could fit into any circumstance or musical situation. Performing thousands of shows over the years, he has played clubs and coffeehouses, festivals and videos, churches and youth camps, radio singles to commercials, and taught hundreds of guitar lessons. With his over 20 years of playing experience beginning as a child, Dave has studied under numerous instructors, attended Hollywood California’s Musicians’ Institute/Guitar Institute of Technology, and taken numerous music theory classes studying classical and jazz arrangements and composition. Together with his wife Barbe, their faith and musical focus have lead to a working relationship in several bands and numerous musical opportunities. Her talents have been a staple to Dave’s sound over the years, and together they have fronted groups like Holy Countdown and Dark Spectacle, releasing recordings that have been seen and heard all over the world.

With this versatility, now come three distinct, yet interwoven musical endeavors sure to find a niche in almost any venue:

Dave’s Solo Acoustic Guitar Set features instrumental arrangements for the smaller, coffeehouse setting. Using a variety of acoustic (and occasionally electric) guitars with various tunings, Dave performs jazz standards, hymns, classical, rock, and folk, weaving between these genre lines and performing pieces in the vein of instrumental masters as diverse as Phil Keaggy, Joe Pass, Rik Emmett, Mason Williams, and Christopher Parkening. This set is a great acoustic evening: intimate and compact, guitar players and fans of guitar arrangements will especially find it interesting, but the music can be enjoyed by all.

His live band project: The Dave Paris Group typifies the phrase “Guitar Rock”. This primarily instrumental rock/ blues endeavor straddles the line of musician-oriented or jam bands, without the repetitions or disassociation that tend to lose some audiences. With styling similar to Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Phish, and Dream Theater, Barbe joins the group as bassist and vocalist, bringing in an “Evanescence meets Sheryl Crow” element to the sound. The Dave Paris Group is rounded out as a trio with drummer Robert Yoder from the Iowa City area.

Drawing on his extensive background, as well as being a private guitar instructor for over 10 years, Instructional Guitar/Music Clinics are another avenue Dave offers. This setting affords players from beginner to intermediate and beyond the opportunity to gather and not only learn, but share concepts and ideas about playing. Dave’s love for talking about guitar, music and faith are intermingled as he shares songwriting and technique concepts, performance issues, and any other topics that may come up during the question and answer segments. Suited mostly for medium-sized audiences of musicians, this is a great chance for youth groups, churches, organizations or venues to offer a group to one-on-one setting for up and coming musicians as Dave performs songs from his electric and acoustic repertoire.

Whether you’re looking for a talented live act for a festival, a storytelling acoustic player for a coffeehouse, or an instructor to inspire other players, Dave Paris has the background, skills, and approach to work with you for the event you’re hosting.

Visit www.daveparis.com and www.myspace.com/daveparis for more info, as well as music downloads for free and purchase. You can also contact Dave via email at: daveparis@hotmail.com or by phone: 319-447-0908.