You may remember my post "You are Right on Time" from last November. There are a few singer-songwriters that really speak to me and I hope they speak to you, too. These are typically singer-songwriters who have great technique, sing with their unique sound (i.e. they don't imitate other singers, they sound like themselves), and they sing with heart. And when you meet them, and they are just as real as their music, as aware of their influence as they are grateful for the praise and thanks they receive, well, that's how it's supposed to go.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of finally hearing Ellis live and also speaking with her in person after her performance. And just as we learned at Augsburg, every time you perform a piece it's about re-creating the piece, not just singing it again and again--it doesn't matter a hill of beans whether you're singing Schubert, Mozart, the theme song from your favorite Broadway musical or a golden oldie at karaoke--you have to re-create the experience for the audience. This is exactly what Ellis did yesterday with three of her songs; she released the CD Right on Time back in 2010 so she's probably sung the title track dozens if not hundreds of times since then, however it was as spontaneous and in-the-moment as you'd ever expect.

Ellis is very much present, connecting with the audience when she sings. People really feel the difference between someone who is singing at them and someone who is singing to them, and Ellis was singing to them. She sought to connect, to move, to gently provoke some thoughts, to soothe, to excite. Yes, the CD table after her performance had a long, long line in front of it. And she has the most awesomely decorated guitar case I've ever seen. :)

I've now listened to Right on Time in its entirety twice...and I'm happy to report that track 3, "Coming Home to You" gave me goosebumps. This is not a common experience I have--it's pretty infrequent that I get goosebumps, so I officially dub "Coming Home to You" goosebump-inducing.

Check out "Right on Time" at CDBaby.com or on iTunes! Do leave a comment here--let me know what you think of Ellis' music!