Dave Ellis - Album (Sonet 1973)

I've chosen a personal favorite record for my first post. Released in 1973 on the Swedish jazz label Sonet, Album was the first solo effort by English singer/songwriter Dave Ellis. Now heralded as an influential acoustic guitar record, it suffered from lack of label support and it has remained well hidden. He has often been compared to contemporaries such as Bert Jansch, Nic Jones, and Davey Graham for his proficiency on guitar and complex compositions that incorporate many styles. Unlike much of the work by the aforementioned artists, the songs on Album don't tread too heavily on traditional folk territory. Each song is penned by Dave, and the heavy jazz influence and structural complexity make this album hard to categorize. Dave is still performing and releasing albums as part of the duo Dave & Boo. You can view their website and read more about Dave's career here. Listen to Album here.