Dave Thompson began playing guitar at age 13, studying with Bob McFee and Tibor Puskas in Kitchener, Ontario. Later studying jazz harmony and arranging with Jim Howard, he went on to study Jazz Composition with Herb Pomeroy at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has worked in concert halls, festivals, summer resorts, clubs, musical theatre, radio and TV, as well as on many CDs as a sideman, producer or arranger. Notable performances include those with Juno-winners Kellylee Evans and Susan Aglukark, and with various artists at the Waterloo Jazz Room, Registry Theatre and other venues. Dave was also fortunate to open for George Benson, Richard Bona, Chris Botti and others as a member of Kellylee Evans’ group.Dave has performed several shows with Drayton Entertainment and with the Stratford Festival, is an adjunct professor at Heritage College in Cambridge (teaching recording arts, performance, and music business), and is music director at Nexus Church in Kitchener. Over his studio career he has played, engineered, produced and arranged for many clients as well as on his own releases, including the 2007 vocal jazz-pop CD “found. Wanting.”Dave's influences include Joe Pass, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Alex Lifeson, Duke Ellington, Reg Schwager, Joni Mitchell, Wes Montgomery, Gil Evans, Sting, George Benson, Lyle Lovett and many more.