CD Review: Landslide Records 40th Anniversary (2021)

It’s a tough road for any independent record label these days, which makes it all the more impressive when one beats the odds and makes a go of it in spite of the obstacles and trials inherent in recording and releasing music for a dwindling audience of record buyers. Landslide Records was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1981 by Matthew Rothschild at the urging of his friend Col. Bruce Hampton, who told him that “we would all be riding around in limousines.” Rothschild launched the label and released as his first title Outside Looking Out by Hampton and his band the Late Bronze Age. According to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, positive early reviews raised expectations for the album which, Rothschild later confessed, “probably sold two copies in every state.”

Considering that Hampton was the evil genius behind the Hampton Grease Band, whose surreal 1971 experimental jazz-rock album Music To Eat was reportedly one of the worst-selling releases in the history of Columbia Records, Rothschild should have thought twice before taking his musician friend’s advice. Luckily, he forged right ahead with Landslide Records and, undaunted by the lack of success with Outside Looking Out, would move forward with a singular vision and great taste in music to make Landslide Records into the champion of American music. Four decades after their first album release, the label is celebrating its 40th anniversary with the release of a two-disc compilation featuring some of the best artists and music from across its storied history.  

Landslide Records 40th Anniversary

The first disc of Landslide Records 40th Anniversary opens with bluesman Tinsley Ellis’s incendiary “Drivin’ Woman,” a swingin’ little sucker from 1986 that fuses Southern grit and Chicago-styled urban sophistication into a rompin’, stompin’ musical thrill ride. Ellis’s flamethrower guitar licks and gruff, whiskey-soaked vocals are matched by the gleeful sound of Dave Cotton’s bleating sax and a rock solid rhythmic foundation. It’s a great way to pull the listener in, followed by the equally charming “Phone Don’t Ring” by the Bluesbusters. A veritable roots ‘n’ blues supergroup, the band features the talents of Little Feat’s Paul Barrere, Catfish Hodge (a longtime fave of mine), and Terry ‘T’ Lavitz of the Dixie Dregs. A bluesy, soulful tune featuring Barrere’s underrated vocals and Hodge’s distinctive fretwork, it’s another treasure from the mid-‘80s.

Both of the aforementioned outfits feature on another pair of songs dating earlier, from 1983, with Ellis and his band the Heartfixers kicking out the jams with a little help from singer/harmonica player ‘Chicago Bob’ Nelson. Covering the Chicago blues classic “Walking Thru the Park,” Ellis and the Heartfixers rock ‘n’ roll like a trailer park in a typhoon. The Bluesbusters’ romp through Hodge’s “Elmo’s Blues” features the Detroit bluesman on the microphone while Barrere tears up the strings. Much of the rest of the first disc follows a similar vein, offering choice cuts by folks like legendary juke-joint pianist Piano Red; guitarist Damon Fowler and his blues-infused Southern rock sound; and Mike Mattison’s sorely overlooked roots-rock outfit Scrapomatic, which combines Delta blues with Southern-fried soul, and even a bit of funky New Orleans in creating a unique and exhilarating sound.

Hard Luck Blues

The late Tom Gray’s beloved band Delta Moon is represented by “Coolest Fools,” a languid rocker with deep blues roots and a pop-rock heart fueled by Gray’s and Mark Johnson’s stellar guitar playing. Late blues guitarist Sean Costello is remembered with a live take of “Motor Head Baby,” the on-stage setting a perfect showcase for the underrated fretburner’s immense talents. Nashville’s own Webb Wilder has recorded several albums for Landslide over 40 years, and his “Dance For Daddy” offers up the sort of livewire roots-rock and twang that had built the great man’s legend. Nappy Brown is an underrated R&B vocalist in a field dominated by great singers, and his performance of “Hard Luck Blues,” backed by Ellis and the Heartfixers, is a thing of pure joy.

Disc two of Landslide Records 40th Anniversary offers a more eclectic mix of styles, ranging from the improvised jazz vibes of David Earle Johnson and the jazzy fretwork of a young Derek Trucks to Widespread Panic’s modernized Southern rock sound and Col. Bruce Hampton’s eclectic, and electrifying avant-garde noisemaking with his band the Late Stone Age. One of the earliest tracks on the set is from Tom Gray’s band the Brains, their rare 1982 track “Dancing Under Streetlights” the perfect fusion of synth-pop and guitar rock. Scrapomatic frontman Mike Mattison’s solo effort “Midnight In Harlem” is a wonderful old-school soul ballad with gorgeous instrumentation while his band’s “Night Trains” is a greasy slab o’ funk with plenty of Paul Olsen’s imaginative guitarplay.

Webb Wilder checks back in with the spry “The Nail Right On the Head,” featuring his infectious vocals, a strong melody, and the talented George Bradfute’s six string skills while Jan Smith’s upbeat “Woman Your Guitar” is a charming blend of country and rock, Smith’s lofty vocals and nimble fretwork backed by an all-star band that includes guitarist Johnny Hiland and bassist Byron House. Curlew’s “Panther Burn” is a slice of avant-garde jazz by a little-known band that nevertheless can boast of a roster that includes saxophonist George Cartright, bassist Bill Laswell, and guitarist Nicky Scopelitis. Americana artist Gary Bennett delivers an upbeat honky-tonk rave-up with “Human Condition,” featuring guitarist Kenny Vaughan, pedal steel maestro Lloyd Green, and Marty Stuart on mandolin. There’s plenty of other fine music to be heard across the two discs, including tracks from talented folks like Jim Quick, the Cigar Store Indians, Geoff Achison, the Lost Continentals, Paul McCandless, and probably a few that I’ve forgotten.

The Reverend’s Bottom Line

If you know nothing about the Landslide Records label, this budget-priced anniversary set offers plenty of reasons to discover why the plucky lil’ indie imprint has successfully carried the torch for authentic American music for four decades now. There are plenty of gems to be found among the 33 songs on the two discs, which provide over two hours of consistently enjoyable listening and, if you’re intrigued by an artist or three, you can dig into their individual catalogs with reckless abandon. Yes, it’s a celebration of 40 years of great music – a milestone by any standard, but Landslide Records 40th Anniversary set is also a great introduction to a label (and artists) worth your time to hear. Grade: A (Landslide Records, released October 29th, 2021)

Buy the CD from Amazon: Landslide Records 40th Anniversary 

New Music Monthly: January 2020 releases

Howdy and Happy New Year to y'all! The holidays have passed, a new year has dawned, and the record labels will launch another season of trying to separate we music lovers from our hard-earned coin. January doesn't offer a lot of new releases, but it's quality over quantity with new albums from folks like blues-rock guitarist Tinsley Ellis, punk-rock legends Anti-Flag, Southern rockers the Drive-By Truckers, British art-rockers Wire, and the enigmatic ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, among others. Plus long-awaited reissues from Marshall Crenshaw and Paul Kelly. Enjoy!

Release dates are subject to change and nobody tells me when they do. If you’re interesting in buying an album, just hit the ‘Buy!’ link to get it from Amazon.com...it’s just that damn easy! Your purchase puts valuable ‘store credit’ in the Reverend’s pocket that he’ll use to buy more music to write about in a never-ending loop of rock ‘n’ roll ecstasy!

JANUARY 10
Paul Kelly - Songs From the South 1985-2019   BUY!

JANUARY 17
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - X: The Godless Void And Other Stories   BUY!
Anti-Flag - 20/20 Vision   BUY!
Marshall Crenshaw - Miracle of Science   BUY!
Holy Fuck - Deleter   BUY!
Of Montreal - UR FUN   BUY!

JANUARY 24
Black Lips - Sing In A World That's Falling Apart   BUY!
Breaking Benjamin - Aurora   BUY!
Wire - Mind Hive   BUY!
Wolf Parade - Thin Mind   BUY!

JANUARY 31
Destroyer - Have We Met   BUY!
Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling   BUY!
Tinsley Ellis - Ice Cream In Hell   BUY!
Squarepusher - Be Up A Hello   BUY!
Theory of A Deadman - Say Nothing   BUY!
Ben Watt - Storm Damage   BUY!

Album of the Month: Marshall Crenshaw's Miracle of Science is the first in a string of long-overdue reissues of the power-pop genius's 1990s-era Razor & Tie label releases. Miracle of Science, originally released in 1996, marks a return to Crenshaw's earliest albums with the artist providing most of the instrumentation on an underrated selection of original tunes and a few choice covers. If you missed this one the first time around, here's another chance to get Crenshaw's Miracle of Science on either CD or vinyl...

The Rev's Favorite Blues Albums of 2018

It was a bountiful year for blues music fans with more great albums than one person could legitimately afford to buy. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, just the reality of the situation. The Reverend did his part for the blues economy, buying up as many new releases as the bank account would allow, but even that falls short of covering the genre in toto…even counting the promo CDs sent by gracious labels for review.

The following ten albums aren’t necessarily the “best” of 2018 but rather those discs that were my favorite releases for the year, along with another ten worthy albums and blues reissues that almost made the cut…and any of these albums would make a great addition to your music library. Check out the Rev’s lists of favorite rock ‘n’ roll and archive/reissue albums from 2018 while you’re here!

Roy Buchanan – Live at Town Hall 1974 (Real Gone Music)
The legendary guitarist’s acclaimed 1975 album Live Stock was expanded to two discs by Real Gone Music for Live at Town Hall 1974. Featuring an impressive 21-song track list (compared to the six tracks on the original release), including 14 previously-unreleased song and improved sound, the set captures Buchanan’s entire November 27th performance at the Town Hall in New York City as taken from the original multi-track tapes. As such, Live at Town Hall 1974 displays the instrumentalist’s enormous talents and underrated vocals, which he shared with singer Billy Price. It’s a phenomenal and intimate recording that shows exactly why the late Buchanan’s star continues to shine so brightly...   BUY!
  

Shemekia Copeland – America’s Child (Alligator Records)
If Koko Taylor and Etta James are the standard by which female blues sings must aspire in the 21st century, Shemekia Copeland stands proudly alongside the legends. For my money, Copeland and Janiva Magness are the two best vocalists in the blues field today – male or female – and both women have brought their enormous talents to songs that fit nicely into the stylistic blend of blues, folk, and country music that is “Americana.” No matter what you want to call it, over the dozen songs included on America’s Child, Copeland’s amazing voice turns every performance into timeless American music.   BUY!

Tinsley Ellis – Winning Hand (Alligator Records)
Guitarist Tinsley Ellis has been kickin’ around the American blues scene since the late ‘70s, both with the Heartfixers and as a solo artist with better than a dozen albums to his name. Still, Ellis doesn’t get nearly enough praise for his enormous talents as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, skills all in abundance on Winning Hand. Each performance here is indelibly imprinted with Ellis’s own robust brand of blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll and for those who love rowdy guitarplay, it just doesn’t get better than Winning Hand.   BUY!

Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite – No Mercy In This Land (Anti- Records)
From open to close, No Mercy In This Land is an incredible collaboration between two musical titans. Ben Harper brings intelligent, poetic lyrics and a sense of youthful vigor to the performances, an energy that spurs Charlie Musselwhite – a jaded veteran who has played with bona fide legends like Big Joe Williams, John Lee Hooker, and Michael Bloomfield – to play here like a man possessed. The result is an instantly classic album that fuses blues and soul music like few artists have been able to do. My only complaint is that the album’s 35-minute running time is too little when the music is as good as what you’ll find on No Mercy In This Land.   BUY!

 
Eric Lindell – Revolution In Your Heart (Alligator Records)
New Orleans-based blues guitarist Eric Lindell has been making great music for over a decade, at least since 2006’s Change In The Weather. The sublimely wonderful Revolution In Your Heart marks his return to Alligator Records, the label where he made three underappreciated albums during the late ‘00s. Recording in his Louisiana backyard, Lindell infuses a dozen original tracks with a subtle, laid-back, New Orleans vibe, effortlessly blending blues, funk, soul, and Southern rock into a heady musical brew. A talented artist worthy of greater acclaim, Eric Lindell is ready for prime-time.   BUY!

 
Nick Moss Band – The High Cost of Low Living (Alligator Records)
Bluesman Nick Moss has been kicking around the Windy City for better than two decades, making his bones playing with legends like Jimmy Dawkins and Buddy Scott. Breaking out on his own in the early ‘00s, Moss has released nearly a dozen critically-acclaimed studio and live albums. Hooking up with skilled harp wrangler Dennis Gruenling, Moss signed with the esteemed Alligator Records and delivered The High Cost of Low Living, the traditional-styled Chicago blues LP we knew he could create. Layering his fiery guitar licks alongside Gruenling’s raging harp, the two crank out a joyful noise. With their Alligator label debut, Moss, Gruenling and a talented crew update the Chicago blues for the 21st century.   BUY!

Preacher Boy – The Rumble Strip (Coast Road Records)
Although The Rumble Strip showcases a welcome expansion of Preacher Boy’s musical palette beyond his signature country-blues sound, Christopher Watkins’ vocals on these songs still growl and bite like Howlin’ Wolf chewing on a microphone, swallowing electricity and spitting out lightning bolts. It’s with his lyrical skills where Preacher Boy really shines, though, and The Rumble Strip is full of whip-smart story-songs backed by imaginative and often-dense instrumentation that proves that Preacher Boy is no one-trick pony. Recommended for rock and blues-rock fans alike, The Rumble Strip marks the return of a unique and original musical voice.   BUY!

Daniel Seymour & Mark Robinson – Chug It Down and Go (Blind Chihuahua Records)
Nashville guitarist Mark Robinson has a pair of critically-acclaimed electric blues studio albums – Quit Your Job, Play Guitar and Have Axe - Will Groove – to his credit along with a rowdy live LP that any blues fan should have on their shelf. Hooking up with fellow multi-instrumentalist Daniel Seymour, Robinson performs a breakneck stylistic U-turn with the acoustic Chug It Down and Go. Talent always shines through and Robinson and Seymour deliver a high-spirited, energetic, and entertaining collection of original songs with deep roots. It’s all quite clever and exceptionally well-performed, Chug It Down and Go a truly magical collaboration between two skilled and passionate music-makers.   BUY!

Various Artists – Confessin’ the Blues (BMG Music)
A multi-format various artist compilation, Confession’ the Blues was ‘curated’ by the Rolling Stones and is available in various multi-disc formats with cool, folksy cover artwork by the Stones’ Ron Wood. Most blues fans will have these songs already, but proceeds from the album go to Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven organization, a worthy cause by any measure. I initially bought Confessin’ the Blues, Vol. 1 as a two-LP vinyl set ‘cause I wanted the big artwork and the warm sound of wax. There’s just no way you’ll be disappointed by a track list that includes Muddy Waters, Little Walter, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, and Elmore James with Sonny Boy Williamson, among other blues legends.   BUY! 

Various Artists – Memphis Rent Party (Fat Possum Records)
Released on vinyl to serve as a de facto “soundtrack” album to Robert Gordon’s excellent book Memphis Rent Party, the album features a veritable “who’s who” of unsung Memphis musical idols, from bluesman Furry Lewis and the legendary Alex Chilton to Tav Falco’s Panther Burns, early rockers Charlie Feathers and Jerry Lee Lewis, and bona fide Memphis music legend Jim Dickinson. No matter your taste in music, there’s something among the dozen tracks on Memphis Rent Party to tickle your fancy, the album’s creative diversity makes it the perfect soundtrack to listen to while reading the book!   BUY!

Honorable Mention: Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio’s Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here; Joe Bonamassa’s British Blues Explosion; Catfish’s Get Down/Live Catfish; Buddy Guy’s A Man & the Blues [vinyl reissue]; Buddy Guy’s The Blues Are Alive & Well; Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa’s Black Coffee; Larkin Poe’s Venom & Faith; Fantastic Negrito’s Please Don’t Be Dead; Boz Scagg’s Out of the Blues; Junior Wells’ Coming At You [vinyl reissue]

Short Rounds: 6 String Drag, Tinsley Ellis, Mabel Greer's Toyshop & Wishbone Ash (2018)

New album releases in 150 words or less…

6 String Drag – High Hat (Schoolkids Records)
South Carolina’s 6 String Drag – singer/guitarist Kenny Roby and bassist Rob Keller – were one of the first signings by Jack Emerson’s E Squared Records. The other ‘E’ in E Squared, country-rock legend Steve Earle, produced 1997’s High Hat, 6 String Drag’s wonderful sophomore album. Its recent reissue on CD and, for the first time, on vinyl is a welcome reminder of the band’s talent, vision, and their status alongside fellow ‘90s-era travelers like Whiskeytown, the Bottle Rockets, and Uncle Tupelo as Americana pioneers. 6 String Drag mix up twangy, trad-flavored country, Stax-inspired Southern soul, and boisterous roots-rock on songs like the spry “Bottle of Blues,” the rowdy “Gasoline Maybelline,” or the blustery “Ghost.” Roby’s lyrics are succinct yet insightful, the arrangements deceptively complex, taking country-rock to new heights. This Schoolkids’ reissue of High Hat precedes the upcoming March release of a new LP by the band, Top of the World. Grade: A   BUY IT!

Tinsley Ellis – Winning Hand (Alligator Records)   
Guitarist Tinsley Ellis has been kickin’ around the American blues scene since the late ‘70s, both with the Heartfixers and as a solo artist with better than a dozen albums to his name. Still, Ellis doesn’t get nearly enough praise for his enormous talents as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, skills all in abundance on Winning Hand. Ellis strikes a deep groove from the first notes of “Sound of A Broken Man” and remains relentless until the final ringing tones of “Saving Grace.” Ellis is a powerful and original stylist, and while you’ll hear elements of Stevie Ray, Jimi, or Robin Trower buried in the stinging solos of songs like the bluesy “Gamblin’ Man” or the honky-tonk rave-up “Satisfied,” each performance is indelibly imprinted with Ellis’s own robust brand of blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll. For those who love rowdy guitarplay, it just doesn’t get better than Winning Hand. Grade: A+   BUY IT!

Mabel Greer’s Toyshop – The Secret (Hagger Bayley Music Limited)
Mabel Greer’s Toyshop was an enigmatic late ‘60s British band notable for evolving into the first incarnation of prog-rock legends Yes. After a name change, band members Peter Banks, Chris Squire, and Jon Anderson moved on, leaving Toyshop founders Clive Bayley and Bob Hagger as the odd men out. The duo reunited under the Toyshop name in 2014 and, enlisting bassist Hugo Barré, released a new album soon thereafter. The Secret is the band’s second post-reunion release and, as these things go, it ain’t half-bad. Adding keyboardist Max Hunt, the talented foursome create a gorgeous musical soundscape atop which Bayley’s sonorous vocals and erudite lyrics float. The late Peter Banks is represented by a guitar solo recorded long ago and incorporated into the hauntingly beautiful title track. The missing link between the psychedelic ‘60s and the proggy ‘70s, Mabel Greer’s Toyshop deliver imaginative, timeless art-rock that enchants the listener. Grade: B+   BUY IT!

Wishbone Ash – Raw to the Bone (Cherry Red Records)
With their halcyon days behind them, British rock legends Wishbone Ash walked a hard road across the ‘80s. Classic albums like Argus had long passed, the band undergoing an identity crisis in the new decade. 1985’s Raw to the Bone displays their creative uncertainty, the band straddling the line between their trademark proggish hard rock and the era’s commercial nerf-metal, a balancing act many bands of similar vintage tried and failed. As this Cherry Red reissue shows, there’s more good than bad – tracks like “People In Motion” or “Long Live the Night” are muscular rockers showcasing the band’s instrumental prowess while a funkalicious cover of Lowell George’s “Rocket In My Pocket” is hella fun. The two-disc set includes rare radio performances from the BBC and a handful of blistering live tracks. The recently-reissued 1982 set Twin Barrels Burning is in a similar vein, but suffers from period production and arrangements. Grade: B-   BUY IT!

Previously on That Devil Music:
Short Rounds, January 2018 - Ethiopian & His All Stars, Gladiators, Moloch & Phil Seymour
Short Rounds, December 2017 - Flat Duo Jets, Focus, The Original Blues Brothers Band, Uriah Heep & John Wetton

New Music Monthly: January 2018 Releases

Welcome to the New Year (2018 for those of you keeping score)! After a couple months of diminishing returns on new music, January brings a tentative return to form for major and minor labels alike. Although the marquee names are few and far between, the new month brings new blues from stars like Tinsley Ellis and Curtis Salgado, reissues of classic LPs by Fleetwood Mac and 6 String Drag, and welcome archive releases by the Remains, Big Star, Rising Storm, and Frank Zappa and much, more more! So count up your pennies and get ready to buy some new tunes to get you through the January winter weather...

If we wrote about it, there'll be a link to it in the album title; if you want an album, hit the 'Buy!' link to get it from Amazon.com...it's just that damn easy! Your purchase puts money in the Reverend's pocket that he'll use to buy more music to write about in a never-ending loop of rock 'n' roll ecstasy! 

JANUARY 12
6 String Drag - High Hat [vinyl reissue]   BUY!
Big Star - Live at Lafayette’s Music Room   BUY!
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Wrong Creatures   BUY!
Denny Doherty - Of All the Things: The Complete ABC/Dunhill Masters   BUY!
Tinsley Ellis - Winning Hand   BUY!
The Remains - Live 1969   BUY!
Rising Storm - Calm Before...   BUY!
Curtis Salgado & Alan Hager - Rough Cut   BUY!
Joe Satriani - What Happens Next   BUY!

JANUARY 19
Black Label Society - Grimmest Hits   BUY!
Ry Cooder & David Lindley - Two Long Riders   BUY!
Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac [deluxe reissue]   BUY!
Joe Perry - Sweetzerland Manifesto   BUY!
They Might Be Giants - I Like Fun   BUY!
Walking Papers (w/Duff McKagan) - WP2   BUY!
Frank Zappa - Munich 1980   BUY!

JANUARY 26
Backtrack Blues Band - Make My Home In Florida   BUY!
Calexico - The Thread That Keeps Us   BUY!
Country Joe & the Fish - The Wave of Electrical Sound   BUY!
Ty Segall - Freedom's Goblin  BUY!

Album of the Month:The Remains' Live 1969 is a long-overdue live album by the legendary '60s-era rockers. Recorded at the legendary Boston Tea Party, the band tears through a high-energy set list that includes covers of "Hang On Sloopy" and "Johnny B. Goode" along with a smattering of originals. The band had been broken up for better than two years but got together for a one-night-only show that is sourced from recently-discovered tapes and pressed on CD and vinyl for long-suffering fans.

CD Preview: Tinsley Ellis’ Red Clay Soul

Over the past four decades, bluesman Tinsley Ellis has performed in every state, as well as Canada, Europe, Russia, Australia, and South America, travelling over a million miles and acting as a true ambassador of the blues. For the Georgia-born guitarist, there’s no place like home, though, and with his new album, Red Clay Soul, Ellis will pay tribute to the musical tradition of the Peach State. “Georgia is where the blues has got soul,” Ellis says in a press release for the new album. “From the gospel inspired Ray Charles, to the R&B of James Brown and Otis Redding, to the rock and roll of Little Richard, to the blues rock of the Allman Brothers Band, all these acts have one thing in common. They all have the sound of Georgia and down here we call that sound red clay soul.”

Ellis will release Red Clay Soul on his own independent Heartfixer Music label on June 3rd, 2016. Says the guitarist about his homegrown label, “I’ve been in the business of music for over 40 years now; I’ve been passed around like a joint from label to label, from booking agency to booking agency, from manager to manager, and from producer to producer, so I’ve learned a lot. Knowing what works in the music business can be very valuable, but knowing what doesn’t work in the music business is priceless. Things are changing fast in the music business, and it’s adapt or die.”

Ellis welcomed a number of guests into the studio for the making of Red Clay Soul, including Oliver Wood from the Wood Brothers, and keyboardist/producer Kevin McKendree. Says Ellis, “Kevin is someone I have recorded with on every studio album I’ve done since Fire It Up, which was produced by Tom Dowd. On this one, he co-produced with me for the first time, and it was his idea to record live in the studio. That insight and vision yielded an album that is different and more exciting than the others we've done in his Nashville-based studio.”

Oliver Wood was a member of Ellis’ band in the early 1980s, and the two artists wrote “Givin’ You Up” a decade ago, the song finally seeing the light of day on Red Clay Soul with Wood providing guitar and vocals. Among the other nine tracks on the album are the bluesy, raucous “All I Think About,” which offers up plenty of Ellis’ stinging guitar and some tasty piano and keyboards riding low in the mix; a wonderful slab o’ Southern soul called “Anything But Go” which showcases Ellis’ often-overlooked vocal chops; and “Circuit Rider,” a roadhouse rocker with a greasy, low-slung groove and a hypnotic riff, with plenty of Ellis’ underrated fretwork woven throughout an enchanting blues performance.

Ellis will be touring in support of Red Clay Soul, bringing his dynamic, electrifying performances to new audiences as he attempts to expand the vocabulary of the blues while expanding the variety of venues in which he appears. “From the time I was a young teenager watching B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, and Billy Preston, to the great new music of today, I've taken what I've learned from these masters and incorporated it into my concerts,” he says. “From BB King, I learned about performing with dynamics. From James Brown, I've learned about putting on a seamless, exciting concert. From the Allmans, I've learned about how to excite fans with extended instrumental jamming. I try to learn something new about putting on shows at every concert I attend.”

We’ve listed Ellis’ confirmed 2016 tour dates below so that you can make plans to attend one of these entertaining, electrifying shows…and don’t forget to pick up a copy of Red Clay Soul!

Buy the CD from Amazon.com

Tinsley Ellis 2016 Tour Dates
05/12/16 @ Key West Theater, Key West FL
05/13/16 @ The Funky Biscuit, Boca Raton FL
05/14/16 @ The Moon, Tallahassee FL
06/08/16 @ Knuckleheads Saloon, Kansas City MO
06/09/16 @ Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis MN
06/10/16 @ Navy Pier, Chicago IL
06/11/16 @ Callahans Music Hall, Auburn Hills MI
06/12/16 @ Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis IN
06/17/16 @ Cox Capital Theater, Macon GA    
06/19/16 @ Workplay Theatre, Birmingham AL
06/23/16 @ Isis Theatre, Asheville NC  
06/24/16 @ The Double Door Inn, Charlotte NC
06/25/16 @ City Winery, Atlanta GA
06/30/16 @ The Castle Theatre, Bloomington IL
07/02/16 @ Centennial Park, Grafton WI
07/12/16 @ Ram's Head, Annapolis MD
07/14/16 @ Iridium Jazz Club, New York NY
07/15/16 @ Thunder Road, Somerville MA
07/16/16 @ Sellersville Theater, Sellersville PA   
07/17/16 @ Daryl's House, Pawling NY
07/21/16 @ Narrows Center For The Arts, Fall River MA        
07/22/16 @ Summer Concert Series, Wilmington DE
07/23/16 @ Hampton Block Party, Hampton VA
07/30/16 @ Calgary International Blues Festival, Calgary Alberta, CANADA
08/11/16 @ Music Box Supper Club, Cleveland OH
08/12/16 @ Woodlands Tavern, Columbus OH
08/13/16 @ Cincy Blues Fest, Cincinnati OH
09/10/16 @ Music In The Park Concert Series, Travelers Rest SC
10/09/16 @ Daytona Blues Festival, Daytona Beach FL
10/21/16 @ Newburry Opera House, Newburry SC
10/29-11/05/16 @ Legendary R&B Cruise, San Juan PR
12/02 & 12/03/16 @ Egyptian Theatre, Park City, UT