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“Detour Ahead” and Herb Ellis
Standards Rating 6 Difficulty Rating 6
Herb Ellis (1921–2010) was a seminal American jazz guitarist best known for his tenure with the Oscar Peterson Trio in the 1950s. Known for blending bebop fluency with a blues-infused swing style, Ellis was praised for his rhythmic precision, melodic clarity, and ability to seamlessly complement virtuoso ensembles. A native of Texas and a student of North Texas State University, Ellis gained early recognition with the Soft Winds trio, where he co-wrote the jazz standard “Detour Ahead.”
“Detour Ahead” is a lyrically rich, harmonically sophisticated ballad that uses the metaphor of a winding road to reflect romantic vulnerability. Written in 1948 with Lou Carter and Johnny Frigo, the tune is structured in a 34-bar AABA form and features nuanced harmonic shifts and melodic tension. It remains a favorite among vocalists and instrumentalists alike, reflecting Ellis’s gift for subtle emotional depth and his lasting influence on jazz composition and guitar artistry.
Soft Winds
Herb Ellis
Jazz Real Book Playlist
By Jay Sweet5
77 ratings
“Detour Ahead” and Herb Ellis
Standards Rating 6 Difficulty Rating 6
Herb Ellis (1921–2010) was a seminal American jazz guitarist best known for his tenure with the Oscar Peterson Trio in the 1950s. Known for blending bebop fluency with a blues-infused swing style, Ellis was praised for his rhythmic precision, melodic clarity, and ability to seamlessly complement virtuoso ensembles. A native of Texas and a student of North Texas State University, Ellis gained early recognition with the Soft Winds trio, where he co-wrote the jazz standard “Detour Ahead.”
“Detour Ahead” is a lyrically rich, harmonically sophisticated ballad that uses the metaphor of a winding road to reflect romantic vulnerability. Written in 1948 with Lou Carter and Johnny Frigo, the tune is structured in a 34-bar AABA form and features nuanced harmonic shifts and melodic tension. It remains a favorite among vocalists and instrumentalists alike, reflecting Ellis’s gift for subtle emotional depth and his lasting influence on jazz composition and guitar artistry.
Soft Winds
Herb Ellis
Jazz Real Book Playlist

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