Tinsley Ellis Ice Cream in Hell

Tinsley Ellis
Ice Cream in Hell
Alligator Records

"Ice Cream in Hell" is Tinsley Ellis' 11th album for Alligator Records. There will be no surprises for fans of Ellis' mix of blues and blues-rock filled with his searing guitar and robust blues shouting. Co-produced by Ellis with Kevin McKendree (who plays keyboards (and guitar on one track). Others on this include Steve Mackey on bass and Lynn Williams on drums and percussion. Jim Hoke and Quentin Ware play sax and trumpet respectively on two songs.

In addition to his rocking blues playing and vocals, Ellis is an excellent songwriter who coins intriguing phases in his lyrics. He opens "Don't Know Beans," with "If dogs could talk, about what they see… they would really tell it all, so you don't know beans," as he tells his lover who is she going to believe, Tinsley or her loving eyes. Set against an emphatic groove, Ellis delivers a dynamic performance about a relationship blowing up. Relationships breaking up is a common theme as he sings that they will serve ice cream in hell before he takes his lover back. Besides his robust vocals, there is plenty of crisp, torrid guitar.

Then there is the brashly played shuffle, "Foolin' Yourself," a passionately sung slow, minor-key blues, "Hole in My Heart," and a slide guitar feature "Sit Down Mama" on which McKendree plays rhythm guitar. This latter number sounds like a tribute to Hound Dog Taylor with its house-rocking groove and high energy slide guitar that evokes Taylor. It also sports one of Ellis' best vocals here. Other sterling performances include "Everything and Everyone" with its Latin groove and Ellis evoking Santana's guitar playing, and "Unlock My Heart" where Ellis' guitar channels Johnny 'Guitar' Watson. There is outstanding guitar playing, solid and tight backing, and first-rate originals resulting in another excellent Tinsley Ellis CD.

I received my review copy from Alligator Records.  Here is "Last One To Know" from this CD.

Tim Gartland Satisfied

Tim Gartland
Satisfied
Taste Good Music.

This is the 4th album by the Nashville based singer-harmonica player-songwriter. I found his prior album "If You Want A Good Woman," to be a "rollicking set of blues and rockers." Like that recording, this was recorded by Kevin McKendree (and his son Yates) at McKendree's The Rock House studio. While Tom West plays keyboards on most of this, McKendree also adds keyboards to several selections. Robert Frahm handles most of the guitar here with Tom Britt playing slide on a couple of selections. Steve Mackey on bass and Tom Bruno round out this fine studio band with Wendy Moten on backup vocals.

"Drinking For Two" is the first song with a driving, second-line groove and Gartland's world-weary vocals and full-bodied harmonica, McKendree's piano and Britt's slide guitar. Gartland is a limited, straight-forward singer although with a modest vocal range. His harmonica playing has a fat-tone and he plays with plenty of drive and swing. His backing is first-rate with a solid rhythm section. Robert Frahm, who I saw when he lived in the Washington DC area, displays his chops with a crisp solo on "Don't Make No Trouble." This song also displays his ability to craft songs with memorable hooks. There is also plenty of variety in the songs including the country-soul flavor of "Blues For Free," the rollicking of "Can't Paint a Prettier Picture," with its Chuck Berry feel, with Tom West channeling Johnnie Johnson and Frahm channeling Berry while trading fours with the leader's harmonica.

The title track is a lovely lament with a slight Tex-Mex accent and atmospheric chromatic harmonica. Frahm's tremolo-laced guitar and West's organ lend a swampy tone to "Walk On" with co-writer Ray Desilvis contributing an effective backing vocal. The variety here is also displayed by the reggae groove employed for "Why Does The Room Begin to Sway?" One can suggest that the use of a reggae groove certainly would be welcome in more blues performances and recordings, but it remains rare.

While Gartland may have limitations as a singer, he remains a capable vocalist. He writes intriguing songs, is a distinct harmonica player and is accompanied by a splendid studio band on a most enjoyable release.

I received my review copy a publicist. This review originally appeared in the May-June 2019 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 384) although I have made minor changes. Here is a brief clip of Tim Gartland performing.

Tinsley Ellis Winning Hand

Tinsley Ellis
Winning Hand
Alligator Records

Near thirty years since he first recorded for Alligator Records (and twenty since his last Alligator album, Tinsley Ellis returns with an album of house rocking blues and rock, showcasing his brawny, volcanic guitar and husky singing. He is joined by Kevin McKendree on keyboards (who co-produced this with Ellis), Steve Mackey on bass and Lynn Williams on drums that was engineered and mixed by McKendree at The Rock House.

Nine of the ten songs are Ellis originals and display the range of his music starting with the searing, hold no prisoners opening blues-rock of "Sound of a Broken Man." In contrast, the easy rocking shuffle blues, "Nothing But Fine," illustrates the clarity and precision, along with fire of his playing along with a more relaxed vocal, while "Gamblin' Man," is a nice original blues performance (the melody slightly evocative of Box Scaggs recording of "Someone Loan Me a Dime"), with a well-shaped, fiery guitar solo and a heartfelt, expressive vocal. Another fine blues performance is "Don't Turn Off The Light." There is also high energy blues-rock of "Kiss This World" with its swelling groove and the rock and roll of "Satisfied," with McKendree's rollicking road house piano in addition to Ellis' guitar. The one cover, Leon Russell's "Dixie Lullaby," sports more rollicking piano (and organ grease) along with some fiery Freddie King inspired guitar.

This is another impressive collection of music from Ellis whose playing shows him still to be a tone master and a fiery guitar slinger. His high energy playing is firmly backed by the terrific studio band. Ellis is also a most congenial, expressive singer and contributed some solid original blues on this memorable blues-rock release.

I received my review copy from Alligator Records. For those in the Washington DC area, he will be at Blues Alley on Wednesday January 17 and playing the Creative Alliance in Baltimore on Thursday January 18. Here is Tinsley from an October, 2017 performance. A fuller listing of upcoming shows is at http://www.tinsleyellis.com/toughloveshows.html.

Andy Poxon Must Not Be Crazy

Must Be Crazy (EllerSoul Records) by Washington area guitarist-vocalist Andy Poxon is the latest by a young phenom that certainly has attracted the praises of many like Duke Robillard (who produced his previous CD) and Mark Wenner of The Nighthawks who is quoted on the back cover. For this, Poxon travelled to the Nashville area where he recorded at Kevin McKendree's Rock House Studio. McKendree (himself once a young DC area phenom) handles the keyboards and co-wrote 4 of the 13 Poxon originals (and his son Yates co-wrote the last track as well as plays organ).

Poxon's continual growth and maturity as a guitarist and a singer is established right away. here is someone who has listened to vintage B.B. King, Pee Wee Crayton, Tiny Grimes, T-Bone Walker and the like and brings a lot of heart and personality to his vocals as this recording starts off with a B.B. King styled bluesYou Must Be Crazy, with some explosive guitar. There's the appealing New Orleans groove of Living Alone, and the sizzling jump blues Next to You, with his fleet, clean, uncluttered guitar standing out. There is terrific slow blues, "Cold Weather" where Poxon evokes classic T-Bone Walker, and he is equally comfortable with the sophisticated jazzy feel of Too Late. The closing instrumental, Rebound, with Yates McKendree, has a nice relaxed groove that evokes classic Memphis soul instrumentals of the sixties.

The performances here are uniformly first-rate. Kudos to McKendree, bassist Steve Mackey, drummer Kenneth Blevins and saxophonist Jim Hoke for the terrific backing. The McCrary Sisters and Chloe Kohanski add backing vocals. But Andy Poxon is the star here and as a singer, as a songwriter and as a guitarist, he has hit a grand slam with the fabulous music on Must Be Crazy.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the September-October 2014 Jazz & Blues Report.  Here is Andy performing with Mark Wenner & His Blues Warriors.