Live Music: Ulrich Ellison

After releasing 9 albums under his own name, Ulrich Ellison has established himself as a top-shelf guitarist on the international Blues rock scene.

Ellison made a name for himself in 2016 after winning 3 Austin Music Awards – the first European to ever win the “Best Guitar” Award, in line with names like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Johnson or Gary Clark Jr.

As a student, he won 3 acclaimed Downbeat Awards in the category “Best Blues/Pop/Rock soloist”. In 2018, he became the first guitarist to ever play in the band of 10-time Grammy winner Jose Feliciano, and toured the world as his musical director.

Other collaborations include Tommy Shannon (SRV, Johnny Winter), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Steve Vai), Kenny Aronoff (Joe Satriani, Smashing Pumpkins), and countless others.

Born in Graz Austria, he was fortunate to have some of the best guitarists as teachers and mentors: Gypsy Jazz legend Harri Stojka, fusion ace Alex Machacek and jazz icon Karl Ratzer. But most importantly and influential – Steve Marchesan and Helmut Bibl. Then in 2007, the big opportunity arises with a prestigious scholarship to study jazz guitar at UT Austin.

While in Texas, he first played as a sideman for countless outfits until founding his own band in 2013, right after the release of “Lose Yourself”. Thousands of shows later all over the US and Europe, from every little watering hole to opening slots for Uriah Heep and Nazareth, Ellison has found his voice on the guitar.

A bluesy cool that is not afraid to rock, Ellison has the credentials and the chops to turn every night into a high-octane rollercoaster ride of guitar fury. Next to his guitar skills, his songwriting is the next big asset – a combination that is hard to come by.

Not a single song is filler material, every statement contributes to a story needing to be heard – that of a little boy from Austria who dreamed to rock the big stages of the world some day.