Negative Positive
Title: Very good electric guitar-driven blues collection
Review: This was the first Tinsley Ellis CD I bought; I got it based on the strength of his stage performance at a blues festival in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1998. Ellis is a fine guitarist, and this CD plays to his strengths -- technical skills with material to match. He's also a more-than-capable singer who's voice can mix well with the hard-edged blues sound, but the focus of the CD is pretty much his guitar work. Of particular note are the opening track, "To the Devil for a Dime" as well as "Wanted Man," "Cut You Loose", "The Next Miss Wrong," and "When I Howl" (which features howling that makes my dog look quizzically at the speakers). Also worthwhile are two somewhat softer arrangements, "The Sun Is Shining" and "Mercy Mercy Mercy" (a cover of the Zawinul & Zawinul classic). Bottom line: if you like your blues delivered in an electric-guitar driven arrangement with above-average musicianship, you'll like this CD.
Is the review positive or negative? 