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Ellis delivers a powerful punch of deep roots blues and wicked guitar...a foot-stomping, raucous good time...a joyous and triumphant celebration of acoustic music. Youll feel it down to the bone.Living BluesGlorious, raw and propulsive acoustic blues...killer vocals and biting, dazzling guitar work.AllMusicStripped down and raw...gruff, unembellished vocals...glistening melodies fingerpicked with delicacy...so genuine it seems like a long lost recording.Blues Music MagazineOn Friday, January 30, 2026, Atlanta-based blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis will release Labor Of Love, his second acoustic album (after 2024s Blues Music Award-nominated Naked Truth), and first acoustic album to contain all original material. The first single from the album, the powerful Hoodoo Woman, premieres today, along with a newly created video directed by filmmaker Troy Bieser. According to Ellis, the song reflects his love of the Mississippi Hill Country Blues. Its inspired by R.L. Burnside, Ellis says of the track. I did shows with R.L. here and in Europe, and his music became ingrained in my soul.With Labor Of Love, Ellis delivers a raw, edgy, self-produced set of 13 original compositions, all performed with pure, emotional honesty. The songs spin modern tales of floods, conflagrations, voodoo spirits, personal travails and heaven-sent prayers. From the feral opener Hoodoo Woman to the John Lee Hooker-groove of Long Time to the evocative, Skip James-inspired To A Hammer to the Son House-style stomp of Sunnyland, Ellis inhabits his songs in a way that is simply astonishing. Each performance carries the weight, experience and hard-earned wisdom Ellis learned over four decades on the road, making Labor Of Love as profoundly deep and moving as any music he has made in his career. It covers the gamut of emotions, finding good times in the hard times, mixing gentle beauty with foot-pounding ferocity.During a break from the recording of the new album, Ellis spent time in Bentonia, Mississippi, birthplace of Skip James and home to blues legend Jimmy Duck Holmes. Ellis soaked up the spirit of this tiny Delta town, hanging out with Holmes and getting a deep insight into genuine Bentonia blues. Later, Ellis performed with Holmes at his famous Blue Front Caf, soaking up every moment. Once I got home, notes Ellis, I went right back to the studio and incorporated everything that I just experienced into my music.
- Main Box Office: (847) 492-8862
- Administrative Office: (847) 492-8061
- Located at main box office entrance
- Valid photo ID required for pickup
- Available 1 hour before performance start time
- Tickets can be held up to 30 minutes before show time
- Street parking available on Chicago Avenue
- Nearby public parking lots within 2 blocks
- Limited on-site parking
- Metered street parking zones
- Wheelchair accessible spaces
- Companion seating available
- Accessible restrooms
- Front row accommodations
- Elevator access to all levels
- No outside food or drinks
- No smoking inside venue
- Valid ticket required for entry
- Late seating during performance intervals
- Professional photography/recording prohibited
- Ages 12 and above generally permitted
- Children under 12 require adult supervision
- Some performances may have specific age restrictions
- Infant/lap policies vary by event type
