Heartfixer Music artist: Tinsley Ellis - Red Clay Soul - New Release Review

I just received the newest release (June 3, 2016), Red Clay Soul, from Tinsley Ellis and it's got real soul. Opening with All I Think About, Tinsley Ellis shows that he is continuing to spread his wings. The rocking country blues track, features Ellis on lead vocal and guitar, joined by Kevin McKendree on organ and piano, Lynn Williams on drums and Steve Mackey on bass. With a bit more R&B styling, Givin' You Up has strong commercial potential with a solid hook and instrumentation. Callin' has an easy soul feel with an almost Al Green sound. I really like the melody on this track and Ellis alternates his blues runs with his own vocals. Very nice. Anything But Go stays in the soul vein and Ellis does a real nice job of delivering on vocals. McKendree's rich keyboard work anchors this track and Ellis' own melodic riffs are contained and well placed. One of my favorite tracks on the release, Hungry Woman Blues, is a deep soul track with a strong blues twist. Mackey creates a solid bottom on bass and McKendree's keyboards the ambiance for a very strong WW Washington/JG Watson style track. Excellent! Circuit Rider has the structure of Albert King's "The Hunter" but Ellis' version has some really nicely stylized guitar riffs giving the track a special something. Very nice job. Don't Cut It is a solid rocker reinforced by Williams tight rhythm. Really nicely phrased guitar riffs with shades of Cray and shimmering chords sets this track firmly in the top few on the release. Party Of One is a quiet blues number with Ellis' vocals up front and somber guitar work and warm riffs by McKendree setting up the track. Nicely executed guitar lead on the second verse gives this track a really memorable feel. Very nice. Spanish influenced, Estero Noche has that Latin jazz/rock flavor that carried Santana's Supernatural to great heights. This is a really nice track with moving percussion and flavorful guitar melody. Excellent! Wrapping the release is The Bottle, The Book or the Gun. This track has a nice cadence featuring possibly the most tasty solo featuring super flat bent vibrato accents. A cool track and an excellent closer for a really solid release.




  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 For added exposure - Blues World Wide Group "LIKE" 

 

Heartfixer Music artist: Tnisley Ellis - tough love - New Release Review

I just received the newest release, tough love, from Tinsley Ellis and he continues to write scorching riffs. Opening with Seven Years, a bluesy ballad, Ellis has a tone all his own with the soul of Robert Cray, the articulation of Mark Knopler and the the heat of SRV. Very cool. Midnight Ride has a romping blues feel with warm organ flow from Kevin McKendree, a driving bass line from Steve Mackey and tight percussion from Lynn Williams. A cool track with hot riffs, this one could catch the radio pretty easy. Give It Away is a quiet ballad featuring Ellis' vocal and acoustic slide techniques. Hard Work has more of a JJ Cale feel with an easy country blues drive. All In The Name Of Love has a really nice R&B feel with McKendree on electric keys. Another track with a particularly strong melody line also features Jim Hoke (sax) and Steve Herrman (trumpet) backing soulful guitar riffs. Should I Have Lied is one of my favorite tracks on the release with BB King like phrasing and a really tight guitar intro. This track sets up more nicely than any other on the release for a strong flexing of Ellis' more than killer guitar riffs. Leave Me has a rock beat but fluid bluesy overtones. A cool rhythm and nice organ work from McKendree opens the door for some real nice guitar riffs from Ellis. A tight number, another of my favorite tracks. The King Must Die definitely has a blues rock format but the underlying bass line on the melody by Mackey feels like Albert King. High tension lead guitar throughout makes this another of my fav's on the release. Everything has a standard 12 bar feel and Ellis whips out his harp for a little ride. Getting some really pretty nice tone from the harp and using the guitar as a secondary instrument isn't a bad thing here. Nice job! Wrapping the release is In From The Cold, a slow ballad with key strings and a lot of room for Ellis to ride the guitar light on the air in the style of David Gilmour. Excellent conclusion for this newest release from Ellis.  

If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

 

Heartfixer Music artist: Tinsley Ellis - Midnight Blue - New release Review

Just received the newest release (January 14, 2014), Midnight Blue, from Tinsley Ellis and it's a smoker! Hot on the heels of instrumental release Get It!, Ellis comes hot out of the chute with If The River Keeps Rising, opening easy with vocal and acoustic guitar but then letting the dogs out with overdriven electric guitar and solid bottomed bass and drums. Fat slide solo's always make me happy and this is a good one! On Mouth Turns Dry, Ellis uses a classic blues rhythm (The Hunter) with a twist and a forward driving blues rocker with solid vocals and frenzied guitar work. Super track! Surrender has a smoother radio play style with nice bass lines from Ted Pecchio. Solid R&B style blues giving Ellis a great opportunity to show his fluid chops. It's Not Funny has a Louisiana beat and sound with cool resophonic slide sound. This is a cool take on the New Orleans sound and pianist Kevin McKendree and drummer Lynn Williams creat a great theatre for this funky track. See No Harm is a rich slow blues track with gospel like piano work....excellent. Ellis digs in for some of his most soulful guitar riffs in a long time and his vocals are complimentary to the nearly perfect track! The Only Thing is a really nice track with a basis similar to Dixon's (Jeff Beck's) Ain't Superstitious. This more modern take with a new twist (it is really a different track altogether) is a a nice groove and Ellis really has it going. Peace and Love has a real warm homey feeling with interesting key work. I like Ellis' vocal work on this track which has a strong melodic hook and hot guitar riffs. That's My Story has a country / blues// rock sound with a twist of Dire Straits. The most straightforward rocker on the release, Ellis lays down some really nice rock riffs and stretches his legs a bit. My favorite track on the release, and also the closer, is Kiss of Death. This is a really smokey hot blues track... think Blue Jeans Blues (ZZ Top). If you don't like this... you don't love modern blues! This is a spectacular ending to a very well done release!

  If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”

Here's Ellis at work:

Landslide Records artist: Tinsley Ellis - Get It! - New Release Review

I just got a copy of the newest Tinsley Ellis release, Get It! and it's really strong! Ellis has put together a 10 track all instrumental recording and he demonstrates that you can say a lot without uttering a word. Opening with Front Street Freeze, Ellis cranks up the funk accompanied by Kevin McKendree on keys, Lynn Williams on drums and Ted Pecchio on bass. Ellis plays smokin guitar that he is known for and adds a little Albert Collins sting. Sassy Strat is another track with a funky bottom. Speaking with his own guitar voice and a bit of wah, Ellis takes a Beck, lay back and let it come to me approach on his melodic lead. McKendree keeps the flame hot with Billy Preston like richness. The Milky Way is a very solitude track with quiet drums and organ on the bottom and single line leads not unlike those seen from Dutch guitar great Jan Akkerman. This is a really nice track with a strong melody and smart use of the fretboard. Detour is a twistin' Texas infused surf track with great guitar riffs, double stops, reverb and effects. Is there beach in Texas... damn straight! This track should see a lot of airplay due to it's refreshing sound and cool beat. Anthem For A Fallen Hero is a classic guitar ballad... the kind of stuff that has made Bonamassa and Moore rich and famous. It is nicely constructed and crisply played. Get It! is a hot Texas style loping blues track with great guitar sounds. McKendree adds just the right amount of keys to Williams drumming to give Ellis a great platform to lay down the goods. This is one of the hottest tracks on the release! Fuzzbuster is a blues rock reminding me quite a bit of ZZ Top in attack but with some real great fuzzy guitar riffs. McKendree has the piano rolling and Ellis doesn't hold back on this track at all. This is definitely one not to miss with Williams keeping you on the path with simple solid beat structure. Freddy's Midnight Dream is another guitar ballad but this time with a country twist really calling to mind Roy Buchanan, Danny Gatton or young Arlen Roth in composition. This is a great track with layers of key work paving the way for Ellis to show his mastery of soul, blues and country all at once. Berry Tossin' has a bit of Chuck Berry flavor mixed into a basic 12 bar structure as thought by Freddie King and then well digested in technicolor by Ellis. McKendree plays some particularly cool piano riffs on this track as well so take note. Catalunya crosses another bridge altogether... David Gilmore's brother born in Atlanta, and jammed with Santana? Ellis takes from what he hears and does an excellent job of creating his own sound from bits of life. On this track with it's Latin rhythm and searing guitar riffs, Ellis creates a sound unique to him. It is an excellent conclusion to a very strong blues guitar release. You like guitar? You like Blues? This is a real good release!

 If you support live Blues acts, up and coming Blues talents and want to learn more about Blues news and Fathers of the Blues, Like ---Bman’s Blues Report--- Facebook Page! I’m looking for great talent and trying to grow the audience for your favorites band! -  ”LIKE”