Ellis

"...Kevin Cook came back...raving about Ellis’s performance and songwriting workshop, calling her one of the most charismatic people he’d ever met...then when now-local touring musician Arthur Lee Land brought her name up in December, I finally got the message."

"Production-wise, the disc is a noticeable step up from previous discs, offering dramatic turns on piano, organ and electric guitar in songs such as the opener "How Would It Be" and the antiwar song "City on Fire." But it doesn't sacrifice Ellis' stark appeal. These are actually some of her most intimate songs yet."

"Ellis is a bold voice for change who doesn't shy away from controversial topics, yet the songs she sings are written with great empathy for her fellow human beings. She knows how to laugh and does so, freely. Her performances are a joy because she enjoys herself so thoroughly. Ellis says that her song writing springs from an attempt to understand life."

"Ellis, though, is in a class by herself. This folk-rocker, while always full of passion in her songwriting and live shows, has matured into a charismatic performer over the past 10 years."

Ellis: I hope for more people to hear my music. I feel fortunate in the community and the collaborations I have been a part of so far. It's sort of selfish because it fills me with such joy. I have such a drive for it because I really do care. The non-competitive aspect of the Song School guarantees community with your peers.

"If there's one show I've been looking forward to seeing for months, it's the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival preview tour with Red Molly, Pat Wictor and Ellis. (That's Ellis over there on the right.)"

"Standing in between those extremes is Ellis, strumming away and trying to make sense of it all -- for herself and for us."

"That image has stayed with me, as it sums up who Ellis, the artist and person, is — open-hearted, generous, down to earth, and genuinely interested in connecting with people through her music. That, in combination with her gorgeous smile, beautiful blue eyes, charming personality and obvious talent, is exactly why audiences — lesbian, straight, young and old — adore her. Ferociously."

"Ellis has been compared with Ani DiFranco, Suzanne Vega, Edie Brickell, and the Indigo Girls, but those comparisons only approximate what she’s all about. She is funny and smart and has a way with lyrics that makes critics take notice."

"Fans love her because her universal themes resonate with them, but she also involves them in her music (a few years ago she asked eight fans to co-produce one of her albums), and critics laud her for her Ani DiFranco-meets-Edie Brickell folk sound."