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Jazz Guitarists – Herb Ellis

Herb EllisHerb Ellis is another of those great bop guitarists. He passed away last year (2010).

Herb was from Texas and had a great feel for the blues. Towards the end of his career he recorded with Duke Robillard, the founder of the group, A Roomful of Blues. Duke Robillard paid his farewells to Herb Ellis in an article in the March 2011 issue of Jazz Times.

Herb Ellis is probably best remembered as being the guitarist in the Oscar Peterson Trio (Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson). This was in the 1950s and was noteworthy not just for the great music they produced but because Herb was the only white member of the groups at a time when this was unusual.

Blues for Everyone

Medley

Flintstones Theme with Barney Kessel

Oscar Peterson Trio – Live in Italy with Roy Eldgridge, 1961 – (Herb’s solo is from about 3:27 to 5:48 minutes in the video)

4 thoughts on “Jazz Guitarists – Herb Ellis”

  1. Dan, one of my favorite CDs I’ve been listening to for a long time is “Seven come eleven” with Herb Ellis and Joe Pass. I’d give anything to play like those guys. (But do they know the Louie Louie solo note for note?

    1. Actually, both are Joe Pass and Herb Ellis and both include Seven come Eleven. It’s difficult to tell which are compilations, re-issues or re-issues of of compilations and so on. Herb and Joe are great regardless.

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