Search - Tinsley Ellis :: Live Highwayman

Alligator has done it again!

P Jerome | Denver, CO USA | 06/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A fantastic live album, recorded at the Chord On Blues in St. Charles. Never heard of Tinsley Ellis until we heard one of the cuts from this album on our local blues & jazz station.



Mr. Ellis has the quintessential Chicago sound that Alligator has been showcasing for years, with an almost Southern rock overlay - the one song that spurred us to buy the album, "The Last Song," is a haunting ballad with a long guitar solo reminiscent of Allman Bros/Pink Floyd (for want of better comparisons). Truly beautiful.



"The Ax" is also a winner.



If you love the blues Chicago style, you should own this, no question about it."

LIVE CD is Pinnacle of Career for Tinsley Ellis

Niecie | Alabama | 06/13/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every time I've been to a LIVE Tinsley Ellis show I thought "I wish I could have THIS show on CD!" Now I can. Years on the road for Tinsley have culminated in a live CD which showcases his talents and is the pinnacle of his work to date. The CD was record March 25th & 26th outside Chicago at the premier club, Chord on Blues. The vocals and blues rock guitar work simulaneously express a full range of emotion and skill. The vocals are as versatile as the guitar work, ranging from the emotional to the playful to the grownling snarl of a man who has seen his ups and downs on that road.



The CD is 79.06 minutes and contains 11 songs. This length allows Tinsley to take you away to that "place" where the best guitar rides take you, a roller coaster rid, through a series of twists and turns, upside down and back around, spellbinding, never knowing what's ahead until your breath is taken away.



Tinsley is backed with the steady driving bass of the man dubbed The Evil One, drummer Jeff Burch who is as precise as Big Ben and the energetic keyboardist Todd Hamric.



This live CD is actually a compilation from Tinsley's 20 plus year career. The CD opens with "Devil for a Dime", a catchy tune you just cant get out of your head. The title track "Highway Man", life on the road and "A Quitter Never Wins", one of the best tracks. There's "Real Bad Way", a trippy driving soulful guitar tune with a little jazz bent. The funky "Hell or High Water" leads into "The Next Miss Wrong" with its driving bass line, which is straight out rock and roll. "The Last Song" has moving emotional vocals, mirrored by piercingly tender, yet down and dirty guitar licks. This song is about the end of an intense love affair and letting go. "Leaving Here/Pawnbroker", Tinsley's dance party tunes, have a signature psychedelic influence. "The Axe" wield impending doom for the cheating lover and finally, the Freddie King "Double Eyed Whammy" showcases blues wah wah used at its tasteful best.



The guitar work is unparalleled, influenced but original. A little Duane Allman lick here, a little John Campbell riff there, some Freddie King, a little Derek and the Domino's ... but no, its all TINSLEY. His own sound - the subtilties, the quiet notes, the bending notes, the screaming wah wah.



I can't stop smiling. I can't stop listening to perfection."

Tinsley -- Bring It On!

F. Rehrig | Canton, GA, USA | 08/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Completely blown away! Vocals are honest, tight, and compelling. Guitar and bass are nothing short of amazing. The energy of the live performance comes right through. Needs to be listened to again and again. It just puts you "in a very bad way!""