Tinsley Ellis

Tickets cost $27 in advance, $32 day of show (plus service charge). They are also available by phone through Hold My Ticket at 505-886-1251.

FUSION | 708 is a beautiful black box theater and art gallery in the FUSION arts campus on the edge of downtown (at 1st and Lomas). The theater can be configured in a variety of ways. This show will be all seated.

According to Atlanta-based blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Tinsley Ellis, his new, first-ever solo acoustic album, Naked Truth, is both "a departure and an arrival." Ellis has been recording and traveling the world for over four decades, delivering his feral, guitar-fueled, original electric blues-rock to ever-growing audiences at concert halls, festivals, and clubs. Naked Truth is steeped in the folk blues traditions of Muddy Waters, Skip James, Son House, Robert Johnson and even Leo Kottke. To the casual fan, this might seem to be a new direction, but for Ellis, it's an extension of his music, as he taps into the raw essence of the blues. "This is a record I've always wanted to make, and one that my longtime fans have been asking for," he says, noting he's included an acoustic mini-set in his concert performances for years. "I'm having so much fun playing these shows," he says.

On Naked Truth (his 21st album), Ellis swaps his blistering, guitar-fueled full band workouts for equally passionate, soul-searching acoustic folk blues. His famed guitar chops and musical creativity are on full display throughout the album's 12 songs, including nine newly written originals. Naked Truth was produced by Ellis, with the foot-stomping cover of Son House's "Death Letter Blues" produced by Atlanta roots musician Eddie 9V. The album was recorded live in the studio using Ellis' beloved 1969 Martin D-35 (a gift from his father) and his 1937 National Steel O Series guitars. Whether intricately fingerpicking the Martin or playing hair-raising slide on the National Steel, Ellis delivers each song with unvarnished intimacy.