Ellis Hooks - Needle In A Haystack (2015)

Ellis Hooks embodies the very finest aspects of Southern musical traditions of Blues, Soul and Gospel; his voice, while evocative of some of the greatest such as Little Milton, Sam Cooke, James Carr, and even Otis Redding, is nevertheless his very own; his unique luscious baritone a trademark. With stylish guitar phrases, at times reminiscent of a more organic Robert Cray, Ellis Hooks' Needle In A Haystack connects with the past while looking into the future. His emotional realism is what makes Hooks larger than the sum total of his individual influences; one of the most exciting young Blues voices today. The album was co-produced by Jon Tiven and Stephen Kalinich. Tiven is known for producing, among others Robert Plant, Nick Lowe, Wilson Pickett, Arthur Alexander, Don Covay, Little Milton, Felix Cavaliere & Steve Cropper, as well as Alex Chilton, and last but not least the late great B.B. King! Co-producer and lyricist Stephen Kalinich is best known for his collaborations with The Beach Boys. Kalinich is also the lyricist for Brian Wilson's duet with Paul McCartney: A Friend Like You. Not only a gifted lyricist, Kalinich is also a painter, and has kindly provided some of his work to illustrate the booklet of Ellis Hooks' newest album Needle In A Haystack. The team of Ellis Hooks, Stephen Kalinich and Jon Tiven has an extensive and extremely impressive combined résumé and the combination and result of these formidable talents is Needle In A Haystack, a brand-new Ellis Hooks album, recorded, at the Hormone Studios, in Nashville, Tennessee, with a backing band directed by Tiven, who also plays guitar, keyboards and tenor saxophone, and includes his wife, Sally, on bass guitar. Guitarist Steve Cropper of Stax-fame co-wrote To You Who Have Wronged Me, and plays guitar on the track. Needle In A Haystack: 13 emotionally intense songs, setting a new benchmark for contemporary Southern Soul and Gospel tinged Blues albums.