GOING ACOUSTIC
Blues guitarist Tinsley Ellis unplugs for latest album ‘Naked Truth’
Tinsley Ellis is driving through Boston on his way to Providence, Rhode Island. It’s a cold part to his East Coast tour, though the blues guitarist is looking forward to heading out West.
“The tour is going great and we’re seeing some great crowds,” he says. “I’m looking forward to warming up a little as the tour continues.”
Ellis is touring in support of his current album, “Naked Truth.” The tour will make a stop at Fusion 708 on Tuesday, April 9.
“Naked Truth” is Ellis’ 21st album and marks the first time he made an acoustic album.
He swapped his scorching, guitar-fueled full band workouts for equally spellbinding, soul-searching acoustic folk blues.
His famed guitar chops and musical creativity are on full display throughout the album’s 12 songs, including nine newly written originals.
“Naked Truth” was produced by Ellis, with the foot-stomping cover of Son House’s “Death Letter Blues” produced by Atlanta roots musician Eddie 9V.
Ellis says the nine originals range from the serious Delta-styled “Devil In The Room” and Skip James-inspired “Windowpane” to the lusty “Hoochie Mama”.
“In this format, there’s a new depth to the emotion of my music,” he says. “When it’s just you, your voice and your guitar, you have to deliver raw, honest emotion to your audience. You can’t just give them volume, energy and exciting playing. The audience has to feel what you’re putting into the song and has to believe you. When I play and sing in the solo acoustic format, there is truly nowhere to hide. I can’t hide behind a loud, distorted guitar. I can’t hide behind a drum beat or a bass line. It’s just me and my instrument, stripped bare of the other players and their various instruments. In a way, it’s a form of confession.”
Ellis says some of the songs on “Naked Truth” have been around for decades and the other half were written specifically for the album.
He admits to writing the songs in electric format and then redoing those songs for an acoustic treatment. “During the pandemic, I did so much writing and I had a folder called acoustic on my computer,” he says. “As the album was coming up, I started arranging them and prioritizing them. I kept working on that.”
It was a team effort in crafting the album, Ellis says.
“I’d bring in my team of experts to wade through the songs I had,” he says. “I’m too close to them, so I have to get other opinions on them. The collection turned out really well in the end.”
Being able to do an acoustic set has given Ellis more freedom as well on tour.
“I enjoy myself more playing acoustic,” he says. “I can turn the show on a dime and throw in a Bob Dylan or Buddy Holly song,” he says. “I just do it and then get back to the songs on the album. I’m doing a little bit of a juggling act on this tour. It’s been very rewarding.”
Ellis’ journey in music has been filled with many milestones over the course of 40 years.
“If somebody would have told me as a teenager that I would open up for the Allman Brothers, Coco Taylor or Buddy Guy, I wouldn’t have believed it,” he says. “Being able to trade licks with some of your heroes is a dream come true.”