Ellen McIlwaine

Ross

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Been digitizing more vinyl, and recorded some McIlwaine LPs. I’d forgotten how much I liked her singing, not to mention her take-no-prisoners slide playing.

EM has played Guilds for most of her long career, from her first purchase of the Guild company “loaner” acoustic in the 1960s. Later in her career she used an S300 (although my recall may be hazy).
 

bighouse

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"take no prisoners slide playing" indeed! That woman was one of the first slide players to get my attention, back in, oh, high school days in the early 70s.

I saw her live about 15 years ago and, while the sound system was completely uncooperative that night, she still had the mojo.

Thanks for the memory/flashback!

Bill
 

Ross

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Hi Bill:

I’ve seen EM a few times also, most recently at the Women’s Blues Revue, an annual event here in Toronto. She played only acoustic, the Guild loaner, but with her usual flamboyance. The show ended with some fine guitar interplay between EM, Sue Foley and houseband guitarist Marg Stowe.

I’m always impressed (and can’t help but cringe a little) by EM’s ability to produce a whammy-bar effect from guitars that don’t have whammy bars.

Cheers
R
 
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