THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “For his new album Zero-2-Sixty, veteran Tulsa blues singer-guitarist Scott Ellison wanted to strip things down and deliver a juke-joint-rockin’ blues set to deepen the groove laid down in his 2022 release There’s Something About the Night.
His searing guitar and soul-drenched vocals make for a potent statement: Respect for the tradition and a view to the future. Over the course of 12 tracks, Scott evokes the best of the Midwest blues sound, a sort of Chicago-meets-Texas-meets-Oklahoma boogie to a full-tilt rockin’ blues workout, plus a heaping measure of pure soul and a roots-driven authenticity that can’t be faked.
Writing and recording from his hometown of Tulsa, Ellison has brought in some very special guests and longtime friends to augment his primary backing and touring bands on this album. Legendary producer Steve Barri (who produced hits for The Turtles, Four Tops, Lionel Richie, Rick James, Johnny Rivers, and others) worked his magic behind the board. With an array of styles woven through one compelling package, Zero-2-Sixty expands on Ellison’s storied legacy and supercharges a set that will no doubt enthrall both critics and fans.
Ellison emerged as a blues-rock powerhouse in the late 1970’s. With Eric Clapton’s and Freddie King’s backing bands at the time both hailing from the region, Ellison’s guitar shredding heavy blues style quickly brought him regional and then national attention. He first gained notice playing with Jessica James (Conway Twitty’s daughter) in 1977, and national blues audiences learned about him via his work in iconic bluesman Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown’s touring band in 1980-81.
He relocated to Los Angeles in the mid-’80s and honed his chops as a session player for everyone from The Box Tops to Gary “US” Bonds to Peaches & Herb. By the early ’90s he finally took the helm as a leader, formed his own band, and opened for the likes of Joe Cocker, Roy Orbison, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Leon Russell, Bobby Bland and Buddy Guy. Solo albums soon followed, beginning with Chains of Love in 1993 and Live at Joey’s in ’95. He returned to Tulsa in ’96 and released Steamin’ the following year and One Step From the Blues in 2000. His 2001 release Cold Hard Cash was produced and co-written by longtime Robert Cray producer Dennis Walker. That album, along with the 2003 followup Bad Case Of The Blues, were highly successful and marked the beginning of a watershed moment for Ellison that resulted in headlining slots at blues festivals across the U.S., Canada and Europe along with multiple European tours.”
