Blues Profile
Tinsley Ellis
by Ray Stiles
|  |
1999 KBA Award Winner
Achievement for Blues on the Internet
Presented by the Blues Foundation
|
|
 | |
Tinsley Ellis was born in Atlanta in 1957 and grew up in southern Florida. He started playing guitar at the age of 7 and was 14 when he was literally hit right in the "hands" with the blues bug. He tells of how he sat mesmerized in the front row of a B.B. King show and when a string broke on B.B.'s guitar Lucille, King changed the string right on stage and handed the broken one to an impressionable Ellis. His fate was sealed, he had to become a blues guitarist (and yes, he still has that string). In 1975, Ellis left Florida and returned to Atlanta where he soon joined the Alley Cats, a gritty blues band that included Preston Hubbard (of Fabulous Thunderbirds fame). In 1981, along with veteran blues singer and harpist "Chicago" Bob Nelson, Tinsley formed The Heartfixers, a group that would become Atlanta's top-drawing blues band. In 1986 he was heard by Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records who released his critically acclaimed George Blue album in 1988. Ellis calls his music, southern blues, saying it's more laid back than Chicago or Texas blues -- more soulful than harsh. The guitar influences of Freddie King, Buddy Guy and Magic Sam are the underpinnings of a brilliant guitar style. One of the nice things about Tinsley's guitar playing is that he can display some amazing pyrotechnics, when he wants too, but he also has great taste and maturity. He knows how and when to change his phrasing, slow the tempo or step back and let his band take the spotlight. He is a true master at this business and a tireless road warrior. With more than half a dozen albums and thousands of gigs already under his belt, Ellis is hailed by critics and fans as one of the best blues-rock guitarists working today. With his powerfully expressive guitar playing, Ellis dazzles audiences wherever he goes. Tinsley Ellis also performs Friday night at the Bayfront Blues Saloon under the tent.
|
|
