Toronto singer-songwriter Tyler Ellis is one of the unsung heroes of folk-roots music on the scene, but his peculiar poetry brilliantly shines in this apropos LIVE album GREATER-THAN, recorded at the ever-popular, intimate Free Times Café in downtown Toronto. Ellis’ seventh album to date, Greater-Than – dedicated to his father who passed away in December of last year – is set to be released at a concert on June 21st at the New Hugh’s Room Live, 296 Broadview Ave., Toronto, ON.
With opening sets by two of Toronto’s most prolific and dynamic singer-songwriters, Lynn Harrison, Noah Zacharin, and a special performance from Tranzitionz Jazz, the doors are open at 7:00 pm and the music starts at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $30 Advance + Tax & Fees at www.Hughsroomlive.com.
Tyler Ellis’s Greater-Than album offers a portrait of a near-perfect folksinger (he admits, in song, to being a “John Prine wannabe”) doing what he does best: a lone man with an acoustic guitar, leading singalongs and relentlessly charming a full house of fans, with his expert songcraft and a fine sense of humour, live onstage at Toronto’s renowned Free Times Cafe.
Check it out on YouTube here: https://music.youtube.com/channel/UCiW4lr8IPH22nsTmXgbgqeQ
Ellis writes and sings songs about music, like “Here Hear,” a version of every onstage folksinger’s request for talkative audience members to please pipe down, so the listening audience can hear. Or “Campfire Song,” about the wonderful communal experience of singing well-known tunes around the flames. Or “Music As Usual,” about the sheer joy of sharing his songs with an audience.
Then there are the Ellis songs full of wisdom earned the hard way. Like “Cassidy,” written as a father-daughter song about the severe regret of having personal baggage and the demon addiction unintentionally destroy a good thing by turning his belly to the bar and his back on his baby. Or “Give and Remember,” about trying to save a fragile, endangered romance by taking a night to recall the good times. Or “Do it Up Right,” about finding some good-times reminders in a box in the garage, with a beautiful twist at the end. Or “Home Free,” where love is likened to a game of hide-and-seek and harkens back to a simpler time.
Ellis has songs about how he lives his life, and how we live our own. “Right On Track” documents how he’s picked up all sorts of qualities and traits from all sorts of places (like we all do). “Down and Up” is about the natural extremes of our lives, while “Three Things” is a rare song about sex from the perspective of a senior citizen. Ellis says, “Lust (sex) and love are part of the whole ‘true love package.’ It’s a song for the young and the old and we don’t have a lot of time on this planet so why not make the most of it.” Or “Waiting On You,” about the great anticipation of a coming baby, and how the parents’ love for it will be unconditional.
Listen on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1zPKefRjFFCSDjwfBKeHc1
There are a few Ellis songs that live in unique territories. “Keanu Reeves” is a memory of Ellis playing hockey with him way back in the day, laughing at his Hollywood dreams at the time. “House of Hambourg” is a portrait of a clandestine jazz club in Toronto. “Little Dipper” is a tribute to the guiding constellation in the night sky, while “Lottery Blues” understands that the big contest is just a scheme to make money out of poverty, feeding off of addiction.
Tyler Ellis has worn two musical hats for a long time. Two wonderful musical hats. On the one hand, a critically acclaimed, award winning singer/songwriter; on the other, an award winning music teacher. With the 2019 release of the double album, Well-Seasoned, Ellis confidently throws both hats into the ring. His wry, thoughtful songs about love and life in The Great White North comfortably rubbing shoulders with his songs about the seasons, Venn-Diagrams, and counting to ten.
Over the years, Tyler has shared a lot of music with a lot of people. Whether writing ditties for CBC Kids (Days of the week song); co-writing with The Julian Taylor Band; talking about music education on CBC Ideas (Ballad of the Tin Ears); presenting university lectures on the joy of singing (Bad Singer/Good Singer with author Tim Falconer); hosting the long running Riverboat Monday Open Stage; performing shows solo and with his band, The Eddy Line; his many years of conducting a 75+ member junior elementary choir; or, just working on his craft, for Tyler it’s always just music as usual.
Album Release Concert w/ special guests Lynn Harrison and Noah Zacharin
Friday, June 21st @ The New Hugh’s Room Live
296 Broadview Ave., Toronto, ON
Doors @ 7:00 pm | Music @ 8:00 pm
Tickets $30 Advance + Tax & Fees