Lockdown Lowdown Volume 3: Tinsley Ellis. My conversation with the Atlanta guitarist goes deep on his career, and his deep connections to many musicians close to my heart, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks - whose first recording was on Tinsley's Storm Warning album when he was 14.
Fantastic Alan and Tinsley. I am 3/4 the way through it and have to take a break. Cannot believe it's been 3 years already tonight. Gut punch. Brato Ganibe.
Enjoyed it immensely Alan. Tinsley is one of the greats. Tinsley has a great sounding old Stratocaster.
Just last weekend I watched a Tinley Ellis show on YouTube. Former Nighthaws guitarist Jimmy Thackery was invited on stage and plugged in.
First time I saw Derek Trucks was at a pool hall in High Point, North Carolina called Recreation Billiards on Main Street. Must have been about 1994 or 95. Derek just as I had heard, was a dead ringer for Duane Allman on side guitar.
I thought about just a half a mile away at High Point University in 1971 was the last time I saw Duane Allman play. The ABB headlined on campus.
Great job Alan. Very cool interview.
I'll confess my complete ignorance here: I know nothing of Tinsley Ellis, but I am immediately intrigued by the Derek Trucks connection.
As a Derek fan, I'd want to start off with the album that Derek plays on, but is that a good place to start with Tinsley?
(As an example of what I mean, as a Clapton fan, I purchased "Riding with the King," but that is not the best place to start listening to BB King.)
I have Riding With The King too. No B.B. goes way back further than that:) It might be the best selling album B B.ever had though.
I'm not sure how far back Tinsley goes back but he was gigging in the 1970's.
As you probably know Derek Trucks says his biggest influences are Elmore James, Duane Allman and certain eastern musicians. I recently read Derek saying he rarely listens now to other guitar players for inspiration. Said he listens to horn players. I get what he says. Wish I could structure a guitar solo like Benny Goodman does on the clarinet.
I'm watching the whole video, and it is great. The Derek part is mainly 33:00 - 37:00.
I did NOT know that Oliver Wood was in Tinsley's band and that it was his idea to get Derek in to play on the album.
Jim, Storm Warning is the cd that includes Derek's first studio work. Fairly sure I have all of TE's releases that I could recommend from. Storm Warning is a really good base to start from though.
Tinsley is the consummate performer, a reason for every note he plays, but even a nicer person.
"There is no mechanical problem so difficult that it cannot be solved by brute force and ignorance"
Jim, Storm Warning is the cd that includes Derek's first studio work. Fairly sure I have all of TE's releases that I could recommend from. Storm Warning is a really good base to start from though.
Tinsley is the consummate performer, a reason for every note he plays, but even a nicer person.
Yeah you can't go wrong with Tinsley. He used to post on the forum here right? I just can't recall what his user name was.
That is right pops. Thanks for that. And Tinsley of course was loved by alot of the old classic posters like Hophead and sandman and Rob Johnson and bluefox and Pam and goliath and all those fine folks.
Glad you guys are enjoying it. I interviewed Reese Wynans today for Volume 4. Fascinating stuff. I'll have that up within a week.
Glad you guys are enjoying it. I interviewed Reese Wynans today for Volume 4. Fascinating stuff. I'll have that up within a week.
That one will be fascinating for sure. Lot of history to go over there and I am sure you'll dig in on how he felt about the Brothers show. He was remarkable that night.
Great talk with Tinsley Alan . I lived in Atlanta from 83-85 and often would see Tinsley and The Heartbreakers at The Moonshadow Saloon and Blues Harbor . The Atlanta club scene in those years was loads of fun. The Gregg and Dickey solo bands were in full throttle at that point and would often appear with other cool bands in the Atlanta area. I never experienced the size of those Atlanta clubs growing up in NYC .
I meant Tinsley Ellis and The Heartfixers .
Oh so Tom Petty didn't play with The Heartfixers. I'm all confused too. No I knew what you meant. The older I get (born 1946) the more I make those mistakes and don't even notice until Im told.
I was in the super market recently ( before the pandemic) and a very pretty young lady perhaps 17 to 24 was running the check out register and her hair color and style, facial features and green eyes reminded me of Elizabeth Taylor. So I told her that. She said " Who is Elizabeth Taylor?". I said you know the movie star. She then said " Oh. Which movies was she in? I don't know the name". I felt old and past my expiration date. I felt like I could have been talking about Rudolph Valentino or Jean Harlow who died before I was born.
Another vote for Storm Warning— Chuck Leavell also plays on a few songs on that CD.
