Woodwind multi-instrumentalist and occasional keyboardist John Ellis has been, until recently, a key component of 8-string guitar wizard Charlie Hunter's various-sized groups since Hunter's final CD for Blue Note, 2001's Songs from the Analog Playground.
But he's also emerged as a strong leader in his own right, and a composer worth paying attention to as well. Last year's One Foot in the Swamp (Hyena, 2005) was the calling card; his latest release, By a Thread (Hyena, 2006) the one that should get him onto the larger jazz listening public's radar.
AAJ contributor R.J. DeLuke caught up with Ellis recently, and the results are both surprising and enlightening.
Check out John Ellis - Emerging at AAJ today!
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