Gene Leis

Gene Leis (April 19, 1920 – March 15, 1993) was an American jazz guitarist, teacher, bandleader, composer, producer and entrepreneur. Known primarily for his influential publications and recorded guitar courses in the 1960s, Gene was also a popular performer and a mentor to a large number of musicians through his teaching studios in Manhattan Beach, California.

Gene was born into a musical family in Sedgwick, Kansas, just outside Witchita. His parents had a family band and played at local dances, weddings and other events. At 9, Gene joined the family group on mandolin, an instrument whose neck was small enough for him to play comfortably. In his early teens he took up tenor guitar and began playing with other small groups. His father wanted him to play cello, and Gene negotiated a series of banjo lessons in exchange.

During the late 1930s Gene listened to the swing bands of Goodman and others and to guitarists Charlie Christian and Django Reinhardt. The introduction of the electric guitar changed the nature of the guitar player in dance bands, who could now play loud enough to be heard over the other instruments. Gene decided to focus on guitar.

In early 1941, this 21-year-old musician enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps in Galveston, Texas, and was sent to Muroc Army Air Field, in the desert north of Lancaster, California. Later this airfield would become known as Edwards Air Force Base, but in 1941 it was an airfield used to train bombing and gunnery maneuvers.

While at the base, Gene took lessons from Dave Saunders, a student of George M. Smith, a studio and performing guitarist and author of “George M. Smith Modern Guitar Method”. These lessons formed the core of Gene’s later teaching system. Smith’s method focused on teaching players the chord techniques necessary for rhythm playing and improvising in contemporary jazz. His focus was on thoroughly knowing and using chords as the basis for rhythm and chord improvising. Gene would later say, “If you don’t know your chords you’ll never play enough guitar to be dangerous”.

Promoted to Staff Sergeant, Gene formed a band, “Gene and his Jive Bombers”, composed of GIs and civilians and toured the area for the next three years. Typically, Gene arranged, directed, produced and emceed at these appearances.

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