Moment of Truth * by Tinsley Ellis

Personnel: Mike Lowry (guitar); Kevin McKendree (Hammond b-3 organ); The Evil One (bass guitar); Jeff Burch (drums); Michelle Malone (background vocals). The Atlanta blues guitarist Tinsley Ellis has gained an outstanding reputation as a fiery and authoritative musician since his first record release in the early 1980s. On this self-produced 2007 collection, his fluid playing contains influences from both the blues and rock music, with the opening track "Say Too Much" incorporating Albert King-like phrases over a four-square R&B backing, and "Tell the Truth" displaying a Southern rock sensibility. The folk-blues of "Shadow of Doubt" gives Ellis the chance to show that he's just as compelling a performer on downbeat, acoustic material as on the swaggering, electric urban blues of "I Take What I Want," and the startling guitar pyrotechnics of "Bringin' Home the Bacon" stake his claim to being one of the early 21st century's most electrifying players. Minimize