Article by Danny Coleman NJ State Rock On Sound Bites
“Very excited about my debut at The Lizzie Rose; I’ve never played there before, I’ve played in the area many times but I’ve never played that venue,” said veteran Blues musician Tinsley Ellis as he spoke about his upcoming August 16 show in Tuckerton, NJ. “I’m familiar with listening rooms like it and I really enjoy them interspersed with theaters and festivals which we do this time of year so, variety is the spice of life.”
Born in Atlanta, GA but raised in South Florida, Ellis has long been a fixture on the world’s stages bringing his brand of rocking blues infused with a shot of Southern hospitality and sarcastic wit to the masses.
This time however, Tinsley has decided to go a different route and “Strip down” his music to the barest of forms; he has gone acoustic.
“I’m gonna turn The Lizzie Rose into a honky tonk that night,” he said with confidence. “On this particular tour we are doing an “Acoustic Songs & Stories Tour” where I’m playing the songs and talking about how I wrote them. It is a stripped down all acoustic show and we have been doing it all over the country from Seattle to Boca Raton, Florida to San Diego to Maine so, really, it’s gonna be a great opportunity to do the songs in more of a stripped down manner.”
When your reputation is somewhat built on straight-forward, higher energy Blues and Blues Rock; what makes one decide to go to such a different route; or is it?
“I don’t know, I’ve been doing an acoustic portion of my concerts for many years sort of in the middle of the show and I thought, I don’t want to make every album be the same kind of rockin’ album and I’ve wanted to do an all acoustic album and I’m working on that right now. The album will be out next year, it takes a long time. I’ve got to write it, which is the phase I’m in right now and I’m about to start the actual recording of it and then I have to get it mixed and mastered and the artwork done for it and then the moment of truth comes when the album comes out and that should be in early 2024. I’m hoping it will be on the Alligator Records label; things always go better with them.”
Many who are working on a new album tend to use the road as a litmus test of sorts for new material. With a venue such as The Lizzie Rose Music Room being so intimate and him doing an acoustic show; will those in attendance be getting a dose of the potential new material?
“I’ve been working on a new album, as I said, which will be my very first acoustic album. This will be my twenty-first album; I’ve done live albums, I’ve even done an all instrumental album and this will be my first acoustic album so I’ll be doing some of those songs as well as songs that I’m known for off the albums along with some Delta Blues and some quirky covers. I’ll throw in a Greg Allman song or a Bob Dylan song or a Leo Kottke song in there; I’m really looking forward to bringing it into town.”
Ellis isn’t slowing down, after the August 16 show he has a very full schedule in front of him.
“I’ve got a show the night before Lizzie Rose at Cafe Wah? in Greenwich Village and then we go to the Boston area, Maine, Connecticut; it’s a long tour. Like I said, I’ve already done the whole country once and it looks like they’ve got me doing it again.”
To discover more about this legendary Blues artist and/or purchase tickets for any of his shows; please visit www.TinsleyEllis.com.
To read up on or purchase tickets for any of the upcoming shows at The Lizzie Rose Music Room, please visit www.TheLizzieRose.net.
Shall you miss the Lizzie Rose show, there is also a show at The Newton Theatre on August 18. Tickets can be purchased at www.SkyPac.org