SCOTT ELLISON
GOOD MORNING MIDNIGHT
RED PARLOR RECORDS RDP 1704
SANCTIFIED–NO MAN’S LAND–GONE FOR GOOD–LAST BREATH–HOPE AND FAITH–ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE–YOU MADE A MESS OUTTA ME–GOOD MORNING MIDNIGHT–TANGLED–WHEELHOUSE–BIG CITY–MYSTERIOUS–WHEN YOU LOVES ME LIKE THIS
We’ve been fans of Scott Ellison for ’bout ten years now, going back to his 2008 set for Michael Frank and Earwig, “Ice Storm.” Scott goes back further than that, tho, with a career that has spanned more than thirty years. The Tulsa-based bluesman can always be counted upon to fire up some of the hottest blues guitar one can imagine, with a powerful and soul-drenched voice. He’s a master at playing various styles, especially jazz-tinged cuts and R & B that’s prevalent down South.
Luckily for us fans, we get a taste of all of it on his latest scorcher, “Good Morning Midnight,” for Red Parlor Records. Most all of the original cuts are collaborations with co-producer, pianist, and fellow Tulsa legend Walt Richmond. A percussion-heavy rhumba-rocker leads off, as Scott strikes up a Freddie King groove on guitar, as “your love has me Sanctified!” His versatility is on display with the reggae-rock of “Hope And Faith,” and, in the tradition of “Ice Storm,” it wouldn’t be a Scott Ellison album without a killer instrumental, and you can hear his jazz influences on the swingin’ “Wheelhouse,” featuring Mike Bennett and Steve Ham on the horns.
As one can glean from these cuts, Scott is, well, “in his wheelhouse” with any style, but our favorites come from his ability to lay down a solid, Chicago-flavored shuffle, and there are three stomp-down good ‘uns up in here. First up is the Elmo James stride of the story of a man trapped in a one-way love affair due to serious lack of funds, “Another Day In Paradise!” The title cut has a sweet Chicago-by-way-of-the-Delta rumble, complete with harp from Jimmy Junior Markham. Those two close the set in similar fashion, with the Jimmy Reed-ish lope of “When You Loves Me Like This, I know you loves me real!”
A new set from Scott Ellison is cause for celebration here at the Crow manor. We know, as the kids say, “it’s all good,” deep-down, soulful blues, and “Good Morning Midnight” has everything blues fans are looking for! Until next time…Sheryl and Don Crow.
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