Jazz Great Herb Ellis Dies

Herb Ellis, the accomplished and highly respected jazz guitarist, died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease at his Los Angeles home March 28.

Ellis, 88, performed with luminaries such as Jimmy Dorsey, Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass in a career that spanned six decades.

The guitarist, after an early stint with Dorsey’s band, formed The Soft Winds trio in 1947, garnering two hit singles. He was best known for his subsequent time with the Oscar Peterson Trio, then touring with Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie.

As jazz popularity waned in the ’60s, Ellis became a sought-after session man, returning to touring the next decade.