OC's Premier Guitarist
In a music career that has spanned over 20 years, Gabriel Ambrosius has had one wild ride. His musical journey has taken him to some great places and he has performed with many bands and acts over the course of his career. One thing that has inspired him through it all was a desire to always keep learning and incorporating new styles into his music.
From the beginning with his first band Switch 65 that was formed in 1996 to his new band, Downtown Country Club, Gabriel’s vision has always been to make music that is accessible to all generations.
Having no formal musical training, Gabriel has relied on his ear to find the sound he has always been looking for. Having received a bass at 10 years old, within a year he had switched to guitar to expand his harmonic possibilities. Through middle school and much of high school he played mostly Ska/Reggae/Rock music that was popular in Orange, CA in the mid 90's. By the time he was 14, he was already a seasoned performer having played many venues throughout Southern CA.
At the end of high school is when he had found his greatest inspiration. A copy of Miles Davis "Birth Of The Cool" showed him all sorts of new musical possibilities beyond Rock and Blues. Then came Django Reinhardt. Django had changed Gabriel's whole world with his great command and never ending ideas. The idea of always playing something different was exactly what he needed to break free from the monotony of having to play the same solo over a song.
Well over a thousand shows later, from styles as varied as Reggae, Jazz, Country, Funk and Hard Rock, Gabriel is continuing on his musical journey. Check him out with his latest Outlaw Country band, Downtown Country Club, or see him around town playing Jazz and Latin with friends and other groups.