If you want the blues rocked or the rocks blues in the fashion of Stevie or Jimmie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, or anyone else on the Austin to Chicago blues highway, check out this latest release by Oklahoma-bred Scot Ellison. Here, plays rhythm and lead guitar, some bass and electric slide guitar, singing lead and sometimes sharing it with Chris Campbell. The rest of the band is a mix and match affair, much like an “Open Night” at the local juke joint. Here it includes Rick Robbins/g, Lou Castro-Jon Parris/b, Robbie Armstrong-Jamie Oldaker-Todd Wolf-David Teegarden-Ron McRorey/dr, Jon Greathouse-Dick Sims-Walt Richman-Hank Charles/B3-p, Scott McQuade/acc, David Bernston/harm and a collaboration of background singers in a low ceilinged collection of smoky jumpers.
Ellison’s guitar slides like Ricky Henderson on the Derek and Dominoes-ish “Salina” and the slow boogie of “Meat and Potatoes” while teams with Bernstom’s hot breeze of a harmonica on the snarling “Revolutionary Man”. The team sounds like a backup for Joe Tex on the the STAXY “Feast or Famine”, gets thick and swampy on “Chains of Love” rocks out the 70s on “Blowing L ike a Hurricane”. Besides bringing in a leathered and well-traveled voice, Ellison’s guitar sears on the Chicago blues like the title tune and the shuffling “Half A Bottle Down”. While taking t his in, the album has such a live feel that you might be looking around for the waitress pushing you for your two drink minimum.