TINSLEY ELLIS
Kingpin (Capricorn)
Reviewed by Eric Steiner

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Tinsley Ellis' Capricorn debut, Kingpin, is a tasty Southern blues rock record. Kingpin is his follow-up to his last Alligator disc, Fire It Up. His sultry take on the Goffin-Golbderg soul nugget, "I Got to Use My Imagination," has more than enough Southern swagger to keep my interest. While Tinsley was coming up, he was in a band called The Heartfixers, and his set-leading tribute to Albert King, "Heart Fixing Business," shows that his chops are in fine form here. My favorites include two of Ellis' own tunes, "Sweet Pea" and "Can't Play That Way," and his cover of B.B. King's "Days of Old." If your taste in blues lies a little South of the Mason-Dixon line, pick up Kingpin. Tinsley Ellis is one of the true Kingpins of the guitar, and his Capricorn debut lets him strut his stuff just fine.

Track List:

Heart Fixing Business * Sweet Pea * Dyin' to Do Wrong * Can't Play That Way * I've Got to Use My Imagination * I Got to Moan * I"ll Be Loving You * The Other Side of Town * Days of Old * Slingshots and Boomerangs * Let's Think About It

© 2000 - Eric Steiner