Everlast (musician)

Los Angeles-based chanteuse Tawny Ellis: A potent brew of Patsy Cline, The Pretenders and Neil Young, her current release “I To You” was produced by Ellis and her partner Gio Loria. Tawny stepped into the role of producer and has created an orchestral, personal album that cuts straight to the bone. With her stark arrangements and sweeping melodies she speaks of love, loss, doubt, heartbreak, running away and Whiskey. She insists on “real” performances and many of the songs are live takes recorded in a farmhouse in the South of France in the winter of 2010 on her Laptop. Minimal over dubs were added including violin, viola, steel guitar and drums (on just a few songs). Ellis is a minimalist to say the least and it is effective in it’s presentation. Other notable musicians appearing on “I To You” are Scarlet Rivera (Bob Dylan, The Indigo Girls) on violin, Mark Schulman (Pink, Sheryle Crow) on drums, Joshua Grange (K.D. Lang, Dwight Yoakam, The Dixie Chicks) on steel guitar. Ellis has accrued a legion of fans, all seduced by the dynamic live show and that irresistibly gorgeous voice. Born in Savannah, Georgia, the captivating singer-songwriter now divides her time between Los Angeles and New Orleans — a split reflected in her music, which has always blended a blast of west coast freshness with some soulful bayou depth. Ellis’s last album “Evolve or Die” (2008), calls up her Americana roots. Ellis’s voice is a perfect fit for this sound, and is reminiscent of artists like Pasty Cline and Peggy Lee. It’s a pure, pitch-perfect voice that can quiver and twang, soaring to delicate heights, swooping to a rich, guttural fullness: what holds it all together is always Ellis’s heart-wrenching presence at the emotional center of the song. Both in live performance and on the album. Ellis works with her long-time writing partner, musical director and multi-instrumentalist, the respected musician’s musician and craftsman Giovanni Loria. Many of their songs have been placed on T.V. and Film soundtracks. Loria has worked, among others, with Jack Johnson, The Black Eyed Peas and Everlast. “Evolve or Die” released in 2008 was met with critical acclaim in America and Europe. “I To You” will be her 4th release.

• published: 29 Jul 2014
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