The first article I ever wrote for Sound Waves was a record review of a new Tinsley Ellis CD called "Trouble Time." I felt that I was qualified to write this particular review because I had gotten to know Tinsley after living in Atlanta for a couple of years in the early 80's. Tinsley was the guitar- slinging prince of the city back then, and he had quickly become my favorite musician. That review appeared in the 20th issue of Sound Waves back in March of 1992. This of course, is the 150th issue.
Since that first review I've gone on to write over 200 more reviews along with about fifty feature articles. I've interviewed some of the most famous musicians this country has ever known including musical heroes of mine such as BB King, Brian Wilson, Bob Weir, and Gregg Allman. I've been to an incredible amount of concerts, mostly for free, and I have a CD collection, most of which I didn't have to pay for, that numbers close to two thousand. I have Sound Waves to thank for this.
However, with all the music I've listened to, and all the concerts I've been to, Tinsley Ellis is still my favorite musician. I've had more good times with close friends and family at Tinsley Ellis shows than anyone else I can think of and the party we have planned at Stash's Café on March 15th should be one for the ages. I've already had a great time setting the whole thing up. I was desperately hoping that Tinsley would be available and I feel that we lucked out in getting him. He just happened to be booked at the Hungry Tiger on March 13th and he was free for the 15th. I called Stash up and he said that he would be more than happy to have the party at his place. However there was one roadblock. The popular local band Sugar Daddy was already booked and Stash was committed to them. I needed to make Sugar Daddy a deal they couldn't pass up. I offered them the April cover of Sound Waves if they backed out of that date. The boys in Sugar Daddy took me up on that one and we'll see their smiling faces on issue #151! Let the party begin!
I caught up with Tinsley on a cold afternoon in February. He was at his home in Atlanta at the time.
BH - So how's everything in Atlanta?
TE - "It's been a really cold winter."
BH - Tell me about it!
TE - "Yeah, but it's unexpected down here and people aren't used to it. It's been in the teens every night."
BH - Well it should be hotter when you come up here to play our party.
TE - "I think that's going to be a great thing. I never played at Stash's before but I've heard about the place for a long time."
BH - You know Tinsley you've had 5 record review, 3 features, and 2 covers. How's it feel being the most written about artist in the history of Sound Waves?
TE - "I feel like I'm up there with Donny Osmond, your other cover guy." (laughs)
BH - Very funny but when I did the Donny interview we ended up putting Steely Dan on the cover that month, much to my objections.
TE - "I remember seeing a picture of you and him which was good." (more laughter - an inside joke)
BH - You know the first thing I wrote for Sound Waves was a review of 'Trouble Time.'
TE - "Yeah, and I think I still have it. That was over ten years ago, how about that."
BH - All these years later are you happy with where your career is at?
TE - "Well with the fact that the economic situation is as bad as I can remember it, um, things aren't too bad really. We got work and that's 99 percent of the game."
BH - Has all the constant touring changed through the years. Has it gotten easier or more organized?
TE - "Well it's certainly no more organized and it probably never will be because of the nature of the music business and nightclubs, stuff like that. But it seems like fifteen years ago we were predominately a band from the southeast and now a majority of my work is up north, an area from Boston stretching out over to the Dakotas and all around that area. That's predominately our zone now whereas in the eighties we were mainly a southeast type band that would venture out occasionally."
BH - Tinsley when fans and critics alike talk about your music, the general consensus is that 'Storm Warning' is your best album. Do you agree?
TE - "Well it's definitely the largest selling record I've ever put out. It's hard for me to say objectively being the one doing the singing, playing, and song writing but that's the one that people seem to request the songs off at most of the shows whether it's 'To The Devil For A Dime' or 'A Quitter Never Wins.' And also you have to look at the time when it came out. It was before the whole crop of teenage superstars like Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shephard and it followed the time when Stevie Ray Vaughan was making albums. So it kind of occurred at the right time."
BH - The one I like best and the one that I feel is the most overlooked is 'Kingpin.'
TE - "It was a unique album, but you want to talk about a record where the timing was real bad that was the one."
BH - Yeah what happened with Capricorn Records?
TE - "With Capricorn I was pretty much their last album project before they sold all their assets to Volcano Records who now owns that album along with a lot of other albums by Widespread Panic and Gov't Mule and people like that. So naturally there wasn't any promotion behind it with the company going out of business so the album really suffered. But that would have been my chance with a major label but there'll be other chances hopefully."
BH - It seems like you bounced back with 'Hell Or High Water' on the Telarc label. A lot of the top blues musicians seem to end up there.
TE - "I know they got three out of the ten blues Grammy nominations this year and I think that's a good sign for them. They also tend to work with more artists that have had a track record at other labels whereas a different label may take younger people like the way Landslide Records did with say, Sean Costello. Telarc works with James Cotton, Son Seals, Charlie Musselwhite, Ronnie Earl, Kenny Neal, you know people that kind of already have a track record."
BH - Tinsley, the last time you were in Connecticut you played at the Hungry Tiger for the first time and I know you're scheduled to play there again. It looked like you really enjoyed that venue.
TE - "It was great because I can't think of a time when we worked on a tiny stage and had it work out so well. It was really cramped up there and with all the people right up front it reminded me of places that we used to play down south here when we were starting out, places like the Harvest Moon Saloon in Atlanta where the fans were right up front in our faces almost falling in to us. It's nice to have a healthy mixture of places like that and the bigger clubs and bigger festivals."
BH - Well you certainly have a presence in Connecticut now.
TE - "Yeah and I remember all those years where we couldn't buy a gig there."
BH - I remember your first show in Hartford, you played at the Island Grille the same night Clapton was across the street at the Civic Center.
TE - "Bad timing on my part."
BH - You know I've seen you at times with a second guitar, a sax, or a keyboard player. What kind of band will you be bringing with you this time around?
TE - "Well you know what, it's funny you should ask that because we don't know yet. We know there'll be a guitar, bass, and drums but we don't know if there will even be a fourth person. I've been doing a lot of shows as a trio for the better part of a year now. Of course, that's how I started was as a trio with the Heartfixers."
BH - Yeah and then Chicago Bob Nelson would come out to sing and their would be four of you.
TE - "But then when he left the band we were a trio for a number of years and then we did that album with Nappy Brown. After that we added a sax and kept the sax and then lost the sax, it changes around. We like to keep people guessing. So why don't you tell me a little about the club?"
BH - It's bigger like Burke's Tavern only it's set up completely different. The stage is right there to your right as you walk in. It's newly renovated too and it now holds about 300. In fact there was a show there last summer with Johnny Winter and James Montgomery. It's much bigger than the other places you've played in New London like the Roadhouse or the Bank Street Café.
TE - "You know I've enjoyed every place I've played in New London."
BH - Changing the subject, why don't you tell me about your website?
TE - "It's tinsleyellis.com and there's all kinds of new news on there. Go to the 'just in' section and we've got the highlights of 2002, all the stuff we did and the stuff that's happening now."
BH - Are you working on any new projects? I'd love to see a new live album.
TE - "You know 'Live At The Moonshadow' was twenty years ago this year."
BH - I was at that show.
TE - "I remember that. I'd say we're due for a live one but as long as I keep writing new songs… I kind of feel like you do a live album when you run out of ideas and 'Hell Or High Water' was all original material and the next one will be as well. So as long as I'm coming up with ideas I feel I need to put them down and then when the well does run dry for a while then maybe it's time to do a live album. I don't think the time is now."
BH - Well anyway Tinsley, I'll see you on the 15th with 300 or so friends of mine at Stash's. You're sure you're up for this? (just kidding)
TE - (laughs) Oh yeah! It's not like I haven't done it before!"
The one thing that all of us involved with Sound Waves Magazine have in common is our love of music. The magazine has a team of writers who are so enthusiastic that our editor Dave Pottie is inundated with articles every month. Sound Waves is thriving these days and because of that we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our readers, especially those throughout New London County. This party at Stash's Café on March 15th is our way of showing our gratitude. So come on out and celebrate the end of this long cold winter with some close friends and one of the world's truly great blues/rock guitarists.