Alligator Records is pleased to announce the release of Tinsley Ellis' new acoustic album, Labor Of Love featuring all original material.

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.

Tinsley Ellis has been known for decades as one of the greatest electric blues-rock guitarists of his generation and is now also recognized as one of the very best contemporary acoustic blues guitarists, songwriters and performers in the world.

According to No Depression, "Even though it's just Ellis and his acoustic guitars, there's plenty of hell-raisin' blues going on. With the ghost of Elmore James looking over his shoulder and Wolf leaning in...Ellis proves he's an icon."

For the album, Ellis used six different open tunings on his beloved 1969 Martin D-35, his 12-string Martin D-12-20, and his 1937 National Steel O Series guitars. He also, for the first time in his career, played mandolin on three of the album's songs. The instrumentation and the tunings, he notes, create endless possibilities, and he finds himself constantly invigorated by the music.