Tinsley Ellis
SHOWTIME
Saturday, September 13th at 7:30
Doors opening at 7:00
TICKETS
- $45 in Advance
- $50 Day of Show
- Ticket Sales open for CST Members on June 16th (CLICK HERE to become a Member Today!)
- Ticket Sales for non-members open July 1st
World-renowned Atlanta-based guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis will give a live solo acoustic performance at Court Square Theater.
Naked Truth, Tinsley Ellis’ first-ever solo acoustic album on Alligator Records, is steeped in the folk blues traditions of Muddy Waters, Skip James, Son House, Robert Johnson and even Leo Kottke. To the casual fan, this might seem to be a new direction for Ellis, known for his blistering electric guitar work, but for Ellis, it’s an extension of his music, as he taps into the raw essence of the blues. “This is a record I’ve always wanted to make, and one that my longtime fans have been asking for,” he says. Since his first Alligator album in 1988, Georgia Blue, Ellis has gone from local Atlanta club favorite to become an internationally touring blues rock giant, performing hundreds of nights per year. Mega-star guitarist Joe Bonamassa calls Ellis “a national treasure.”
Naked Truth is a revelation. Stripped of the electric fervor that defined his previous works, Ellis’ acoustic music carries a rawness that speaks directly from his soul. The songs unveil another side of Tinsley Ellis, but one that is totally recognizable to his fans. His gruff, full-throated vocals intertwine seamlessly with the bare, acoustic arrangements, creating an album that is both timeless and immediate. No Depression says, “Ellis shines. When the tempo slows, the intensity doesn’t waver.” Blues Music Magazine states, “Tinsley Ellis is a powerful and commanding presence. His music is impossible not to enjoy.”
“An exciting, emotional guitarist and a strong, evocative songwriter… One of modern blues’ greatest performers.” –Vintage Guitar
“A legend of American blues music… An American music treasure…mEllis delivers a sermon on the power and glory of the blues.” –Premier Guitar
“Powerful, spine-tingling guitar and gritty, soulful vocals.” –Relix
“Tinsley Ellis is a powerful and commanding presence. His music is impossible not to enjoy.” – Blues Music Magazine
Tinsley Ellis has been immersed in music his whole life. Born in Atlanta 1957 and raised in southern Florida, he acquired his first guitar at age seven, inspired by seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. He took to guitar instantly, developing and sharpening his skills as he grew up. Like many kids his age, Ellis discovered the blues through the back door of British Invasion bands like The Yardbirds, The Animals, Cream and The Rolling Stones as well as Southern rockers like The Allman Brothers. One afternoon after high school in 1972, he and a friend were listening to Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield’s Super Session record when his friend’s older brother told them that, if they liked Super Session, they should go see B.B. King, who was in town that week. Tinsley saw that show from the very front row. As fate would have it, King broke a guitar string while playing, and after changing it without missing a beat, he handed the broken string to young Tinsley. And yes, Tinsley still has that string.
Tinsley Ellis has brought his music to fans live in person to all 50 United States, as well as in Canada, across Europe, Australia and South America. He’s earned the love and respect of many of his fellow musicians, having shared stages with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Allman Brothers, Warren Haynes, Oliver Wood, Buddy Guy, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gov’t Mule, Widespread Panic, and more. Over the years, legends including Otis Rush, James Cotton, Gregg Allman, Jimmy Buffett, Son Seals, Koko Taylor and Albert Collins invited Ellis to join them on stage. Mega-star guitarist Joe Bonamassa calls Ellis “a national treasure.”
