A hard-rocking, high-voltage blues guitarist, Tinsley Ellis was schooled in a variety of Southern musical styles as evidenced by his 1988 solo debut, Georgia Blue, Ellis draws not only from fiery Vaughan-style blues-rock, but also Texas bluesmen like Freddie King and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, the soulful blues of B.B. King, the funky grit of Memphis soul, and numerous other electric bluesmen. Subsequent offerings, such as 1997's Fire It Up, showcased fine hopped-up originals alongside striking covers penned by everyone from Mickey Newbury to Magic Sam and Los Lobos. Releases like 2004's The Hard Way and 2013's Midnight Blue confirmed him as a formidable instrumentalist and solid songwriting talent. Ellis presented Winning Hand in 2018 before reconvening with the same team of players for 2020's Ice Cream in Helland 2022's The Devil May Care. ~ Steve Huey