Sebastian was born in 1978 in Karlsruhe, Germany - only to discover that he is the youngest of eight children, some of them 20 years his elder. His liberal upbringing, his rural surroundings and of course his many siblings had a profound and long-lasting influence on him. His brothers and sisters taught him many things - and above all they taught him music.

“My brother put me in front of his huge Marshall amp and started playing as loud as he could!”

Then the Nineties hit and along came Grunge. Despite his young age, Sebastian and his schoolmates formed a band and rendered homage to their idols. They played songs by Nirvana and U2 and soon Sebastian discovered the great American songwriters. At the age of 16 he bought a guitar and a harmonica and started writing his own music. He recorded a demo tape and played his first shows.

He cultivated the rock and roll lifestyle - up until his parents kicked him out of the house. Sebastian was out on his own and it did not feel all that good. He found work as a DJ, sold food at a fruit stand and worked on the assembly line. One time he even operated a trash compactor just to scratch a living. And he never stopped playing his music.

“I had to figure out how to make a living early in life. It taught me a thing or two about something called the blues.”

Around this time he met Victor Brox, the English blues legend who had come to fame with Alexis Korner and Aynsley Dunbar and had performed with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Brox took him under his wings and together they have played various concerts together over the years. They have developed a musical friendship that lasts to this day.

In 1998 he teamed up with friend and pianist Alex Nagel and together they formed Acoustic Avenue. Both share an affection for the jazz music of the swing era - and soon they shared a stage. They quickly built an avid fan base which allowed them to concentrate fully on their music. Today Acoustic Avenue consists of seven musicians and together they play more than a hundred public gigs and corporate events a year, both in Germany and abroad.

“Suddenly I am finding myself in the midst of a high-class event with a suit and a tie. It’s an odd feeling.”

Now, after many years as a band leader, Sebastian is going back to his roots: in 2008 he has released his debut album called “In The Mystic Mood Of Autumn”. The songs blend folk and blues elements with an acoustic touch, all accompanied by a mandatory harmonica. Sebastian is supported by his long-time companions Andi Nolte (drums) and Wlad Larkin (bass), who also join him on stage. Guest performers include the string ensemble Mignon Quartett and friend and guitar guru Tobias Langguth.

Today Sebastian Schwarzbach is residing in Munich, Germany where he works on his sophomore album. A new CD by Acoustic Avenue is also nearing it’s release, all original compositions, most of them written by Sebastian.