After Tinsley Ellis released the fine Ice Cream in Hell in 2020, he hit the road for a 60-date tour. Six weeks in, the global COVID-19 pandemic made him cancel. He drove the 2,400 miles from Reno, Nevada to Atlanta, Georgia. At home he entered his basement studio and pulled out loads of gear – including every guitar he owned. He also set up a turntable and began dragging vinyl off the shelves. He explored studio and obscure live recordings from some of his musical heroes, including the Allman Brothers, Freddie and B.B. King, Michael Bloomfield, and many more. He was captivated and began writing with a white-hot intensity, determined to grow as a songwriter. By April he was posting tracks to his website. In 18 months he composed 200 new songs. He contacted longtime friend, keyboardist and producer Kevin McKendree and booked time at his Franklin, Tennessee studio, then culled his massive song list down to ten tunes. On Devil May Care, Ellis is joined by McKendree on piano and organ, bassist Steve Mackey, and drummer Lynn Williams.
The release of the movie MILES AHEAD, Don Cheadle's wildly entertaining and moving exploration of Miles Davis, will be accompanied by this new soundtrack featuring musical highlights from Miles' career and new recordings overseen by Grammy Award-winning jazz/hip-hop artist Robert Glasper. This is a perfect primer on Davis' career for the new fan and a brilliant audio keepsake of the film for those who've studied his works inside and out. The album features 11 tracks from across Miles' catalogue from 1956 to 1981, select dialogue from the film featuring Cheadle in character, and five original compositions written, co-written, produced or performed exclusively for MILES AHEAD by Robert Glasper. These cues include "What's Wrong with That?" a jam that closes the movie imagining Cheadle as Miles playing in the present day with guest performers Glasper, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Gary Clark, Jr. and Esperanza Spalding; plus "Gone 2015," an end-credits song featuring guest verses from rapper Pharoahe Monch. Cheadle also pens new liner notes for the album discussing the selection and creation of the songs on the soundtrack.