Ellen McIlwaine to Perform Here
By Barbara Crook
Juan Rodriguez of The Montreal Star calls her “a supremely individualistic singer”; Bruce Blackadar of The Toronto Star says that “there aren’t many guitar players in Canada at the moment who can match her for power, imagination, range, depth, interpretation of material and just plain meanness.”
The lady in question is, of course, Ellen McIlwaine, the singer-guitarist-pianist who has been gaining notoriety in Canada and the U.S., and will be playing at John Abbott on Thursday, March 20th.
Born in Nashville in 1945 and raised in Japan by missionary parents, McIlwaine returned to the States to go to college. The Presbyterian college she first attended was a disaster, but at Dekalb College in Atlanta “it all jelled”. McIlwaine began playing gigs for a dollar fifty a night, developed her style and eventually took up slide guitar.
Over the past couple of years, she has playing the Montreal coffee house circuit, impressing audiences with her strong, innovative singing and guitar styles. McIlwaine has recently signed with the Montreal based independent record label Kot’ai, so hopefully Montrealers will be seeing a lot more of her.
Ellen McIlwaine will be appearing at JAC on Thursday, March 20th at 8:00pm. Tickets are available in advance from Students Services (at $3.00 each) or at the door for $3.50. Get your tickets early, because it’s sure to be a knockout performance.