Herb Ellis, like many other prominent American jazz guitarists (including Charlie Christian, Eddie Durham, and Oscar Moore), was born in the southwestern part of the US. Blues, with a hint of country music, are a hallmark of his jazz guitar sound and his guitar playing technique. This is undoubtedly due to the environment in which Ellis was raised. Herb Ellis first played the banjo, although it is claimed that he played the harmonica at the age of four and picked up the guitar at the age of ten. While in high school, he played the alto horn in the school band. Ellis studied at North Texas State College and helped start a jazz guitar music program there. He met and befriended many now well-known jazz musicians while at this university, including Jimmy Giuffre, Gene Roland, and Harry Babasin.
Herb graduated in 1941 and joined the Glen Gray band. In 1945 he joined the Jimmy Dorsey Big Band touring and performing with them for three years. Following this, Ellis formed his own instrumental/vocal trio called “The Softwinds”. This group, which featured Lou Carter on piano and Johnny Frigo on bass, played together for five years. During this time, Herb wrote several hit songs, including “Detour Ahead” and “I Told You I Love You – Now Get Out”. Ellis’ jazz guitar talent was first recognized internationally in 1953 when he replaced jazz guitarist Barney Kessel in the Oscar Peterson Trio. There is no doubt that during his five-year tenure with Peterson, and his subsequent four years accompanying renowned jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald, Ellis fully developed his musical abilities as a soloist and accompanist. It was during this time that he also began a long association and friendship with bassist Ray Brown.
After that time, Herb Ellis led a career as one of the most active jazz guitarists on the international jazz music scene. Over the years, he played and recorded with “The Great Guitars”, a group that included jazz pickstyle guitarist Barney Kessel and jazz fingerstyle guitarist Charlie Byrd, in a duo with jazz guitarist Joe Pass, and as a leader. of his own trios and quartets. Although for many years Ellis worked in the Los Angeles studio scene and was a regular member of the Don Trenner Band on the popular ‘Steve Allen Show,’ he later returned to a life devoted to jazz guitar music once again. regularly appearing and recording with Oscar. Peterson. Herb died on March 28, 2010, but luckily for aspiring guitarists, he has released several jazz guitar tablature books and DVD courses teaching his improvised one-note solos and chord melody solos, as well as the guitar techniques he used to play them.
