Tinsley Ellis

As leader of blues-bar fave band the Heartfixers and auteur of a dozen or so solo records, Tinsley Ellis has generated a fair amount of critical praise for both his songwriting and his guitar playing, though he's not a household name. Working a fine compromise between blues and rock 'n' roll and singing in a booming, throaty voice, this native Atlantan seems to be the heir apparent to Johnny Winter's under-the-radar/critic's-darling throne.