William Lee Ellis – God’s Tattoo (Yellow Dog Records).

Just when I thought that Yellow Dog had just about exhausted their roster of quality artists, up they pop with another. William Lee Ellis is steeped in the tradition of blues and Americana guitar playing and if I told you that his father, Tony Ellis, was one of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys then you’ll understand why. God’s Tattoos opens with the slide guitar extravaganza that is Snakes In My Garden and I can’t think of a better way to open a set. The title track has a rumba beat and its smouldering feel makes me think of French cafés. The fantastically titled When Leadbelly Walked The River Like Christ is not a blues but the instrumental is one to make you think and the sustain that he achieves with the E-Bow that he uses on his acoustic guitar is phenomenal. Ellis manages to vocally sound like Eric Clapton on Search My Heart, a lovely version of a revamped Gospel song and chooses Perfect Ones Who Break, a bluesy ballad, to continue with the Clapton comparison. This is the type of song that Clapton does so well these days. Sandwiched between these is Four Horses (of the Apocalypse I presume). This is a return to his acoustic slide style and is one of the top tracks on the album.

The Call demands to be listened to and is a stunning response to 9/11. This is followed by roots music of the highest order in the form of Cold And Weary and the Mississippi John Hurt song, Here I Am, Lord Send Me. You don’t have to do much to songs like this, just play them and there’s some nice backing vocals from William’s wife, Julie. If you were to try and play Jesus Stole My Heart then I think you’d need 12 fingers. This is spectacular! The Missing Moon And Stars is a lovely instrumental and the final track, Dust Will Write My Name, is a low key finish but for once I agree that this is the way to end what has been a lesson in roots music.

http://www.yellowdogrecords.com/
http://www.williamleeellis.com/

David Blue.