TINSLEY ELLIS ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF NEW STUDIO
ALBUM TITLED RED CLAY SOUL ON JUNE 3
PRE-ORDER LIVE ON MAY 15 VIA ARTIST SITE AND AMAZON
Extensive
Global Tour Planned From May Through December To Support Release
Atlanta, GA --- Tinsley Ellis has travelled a million miles,
and through that journey he has become a man with clarity about where he stands
today and his future destination. As a proud Georgia-based artist, with
his new album Red Clay Soul he celebrates a legacy built on four decades
of performing, recording and song writing. Travelers headed to Florida or
other destinations in the Southeastern U.S. encounter red clay embankments as
they hit the state of Georgia, and Ellis has chosen to title this new collection
Red Clay Soul to celebrate the music of the area. He offers,
"Georgia is where the Blues has got Soul. 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."
Over
the past 40 years, Tinsley Ellis has performed in all 50 states, across Canada,
Europe, South America and Australia. He's taken the stage in Russia, the
Canary Islands and other destinations not on the traditional touring circuit.
His vision for the future is to continue to release the type of albums that
push the boundaries of Blues and to expand his touring radius. He reflects,
"Playing concerts is what I've done the longest. From the time I was a
young teenager watching BB 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. 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."
There
are a number of special guests on the new album who have strong ties and
history to Ellis' career. Oliver Wood from The Wood Brothers, and
keyboardist/producer Kevin McKendree both return as a collaborators.
Ellis states, "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. When it comes to Oliver Wood, he was in my band in 1993-94, and
was a big part of my 1994 Storm Warning album. A decade ago, we wrote
"Givin' You Up," and it finally comes out on Red Clay Soul. I
love what Oliver brings to the song on both guitar and vocals. We decided to
leave the long jam version on the album, and it's fun as hell."
Ellis’
travels have earned him a gifted musical life filled with coveted
experiences. Being present as a relevant artist yielded organic
opportunities many dream of. He shares, "My proudest moments onstage
have been the times I've been invited to sit in with my musical heroes: Buddy
Guy, Albert Collins, Otis Rush, James Cotton, The Allmans and so many
others. In 2013, I was invited to be a part of the Blues At The
Crossroads 2 Tour, a run that celebrated the music of Muddy Waters and Howlin'
Wolf. I was the 'Rock Guy' on the tour. The other frontmen were guys who
actually recorded and toured with Muddy and Wolf. They were James Cotton and
Bob Margolin from Muddy's band and Jody Williams, the Chess Records session
guitarist who recorded on many Wolf and Bo Diddley sides. And The Fabulous
Thunderbirds backed us all up. It was cool because I was the youngest frontman
on the tour, and they rode me hard, calling me a 'little whippersnapper' and
'sonny boy.' The stories these guys told as we traveled coast to coast were
hilarious. To this day, I don't underestimate how much they schooled me
musically."
The
new album is on Ellis' own Heartfixer Music label, of which he reveals,
"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." The
label name comes from a piece of his own history. In 1981,
"Chicago" Bob Nelson and Ellis formed a traditional Blues band called
The Heartfixers in Atlanta, a name inspired by the Albert King song called
Heartfixin' Business. The label is named after that band. The Heartfixers
recorded 4 LPs, and disbanded when Ellis signed to Alligator Records as a solo
artist in 1988.
Tinsley
Ellis has achieved a lot of success and worked with some of the best in the
business. He has toured the globe, released 19 albums (with Red Clay
Soul), and hit the heights of commercial success with songs covered by
other artists – notably, Jonny Lang recording "A Quitter Never
Wins." Ellis even gave Derek Trucks his recording debut on Ellis' Storm
Warning. He won Rock/Blues Album Of The Year with Tough Love in 2015
from Blues Blast Magazine and made many "Best
Of" lists within Downbeat and others. Tinsley Ellis continues
to release compelling music. And he continues to bring it night after night at
one venue after another across the globe, sharing his blues-steeped legacy,
fine songwriting, and deep pride in being a Georgia-based artist.
Confirmed
appearances include:
5/12 Key West,
FL
Key West Theater
5/13 Boca Raton,
FL
The Funky Biscuit
5/14 Tallahassee,
FL
The Moon
6/08 Kansas City,
MO
Knuckleheads Saloon
6/09 Minneapolis,
MN
Dakota Jazz Club
6/10 Chicago,
IL
Navy Pier
6/11 Auburn Hills,
MI
Callahans Music Hall
6/12 Indianapolis,
IN
Jazz Kitchen
6/17 Macon,
GA
Cox Capital Theater
6/19 Birmingham,
AL
Workplay Theatre
6/23 Asheville,
NC
Isis Theatre
6/24 Charlotte,
NC
The Double Door Inn
6/25 Atlanta,
GA
City Winery
6/30 Bloomington,
IL
The Castle Theatre
7/02 Grafton,
WI
Centennial Park
7/12 Annapolis,
MD
Ram's Head
7/14 New York,
NY
Iridium Jazz Club
7/15 Somerville,
MA
Thunder Road
7/16 Sellersville,
PA
Sellersville Theater
7/17 Pawling,
NY
Daryl's House
7/21 Fall River,
MA
Narrows Center For The Arts
7/22 Wilmington,
DE
Summer Concert Series
7/23 Hampton,
VA
Hampton Block Party
7/30 Calgary,
AB
Calgary International Blues Festival
8/11 Cleveland,
OH
Music Box Supper Club - Ballroom
8/12 Columbus,
OH
Woodlands Tavern
8/13 Cincinnati,
OH
Cincy Blues Fest
9/10 Travelers Rest,
SC
Music In The Park Concert Series
10/09 Daytona Beach,
FL
Daytona Blues Festival
10/21 Newburry,
SC
Newburry Opera House
10/29 San Juan,
PR
Legendary R&B Cruise (Until 11/05)
12/02 Park City,
UT
Egyptian Theatre
12/03 Park City,
UT
Egyptian Theatre
