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Herb Ellis like many other leading American jazz guitarists (including Charlie Christian, Eddie Durham, and Oscar Moore) was born in the southwestern part of the USA. The blues, with a touch of country music, are a distinctive feature of his jazz guitar music sound and his guitar playing technique. This is most certainly due to the environment in which Ellis was brought up. Herb Ellis first played the banjo, although it is claimed he played the harmonica at the age of four, and took up the guitar at the age of ten. While he was at high school he played alto horn in the school band. Ellis studied at the 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 college including Jimmy Giuffre, Gene Roland, and Harry Babasin.Herb graduated in 1941 and joined Glen Gray's 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".