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WYATT
ELLIS’ LATEST FOCUS TRACK
“BLUE SMOKE” FEATURING MARTY STUART
Ellis Adding Tour Dates Opening for Stuart
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“It’s cool that Wyatt
is writing music. That's where it's at. We don't need more people
playing the same old stuff. I'm glad he's putting some new
language out there.”
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Wyatt Ellis with Marty Stuart
(Photo credit: Joseph J. Cash)
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NASHVILLE—March 28,
2024—As the touring season picks up steam, 14-year-old
mandolin phenom Wyatt Ellis has just added
three dates to his concert schedule, opening for bluegrass and
country music icon Marty Stuart. Ellis and his
band will join Stuart’s tour at The Birchmere in
Alexandria, VA (3/28), The Beacon Theater in Hopewell, VA (3/29) and Kitty Carlisle Hart
Theatre in Albany, NY (3/30). (All current tour
dates listed below.)
“Blue Smoke,” an instrumental
tune penned by Ellis, features Stuart as a special guest. The
song is the latest focus track from his recently released debut
album, Happy Valley, on Ellis’ label,
Knee High Records.
And with every great song, there is a
great story.
In 2022, when Ellis was just twelve, he
sent Stuart a letter asking if he would be willing to be the
special guest on an original tune he’d written, titled “Blue
Smoke.” Stuart eventually agreed, but it took time to nail down a
date that would work around his heavy touring schedule. To add to
the logistical challenge, the Tractor Shed, where the majority of
Happy Valley was recorded, was unavailable for a session on Stuart’s
one available day, and Ellis’ producer, Justin Moses, was booked
on another recording session. By the time it all came together,
Ellis found himself crossing the threshold of Johnny Cash’s Cash
Cabin studio. With the basic tracks already recorded and in-hand,
Ellis stepped in to help produce Stuart’s additional tracks.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for
Ellis when he heard the familiar tone of Stuart’s iconic mandolin
masterfully echoing the notes he had written, inside the historic
walls of Cash Cabin.
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The pair of mandolinists shared this special studio
session under the engineering guidance of Trey Call and Johnny
Cash’s grandson, Joseph J. Cash. A fan of all music, but
especially bluegrass mandolin, Cash eagerly welcomed the young
musician into the studio and graciously shared pieces of his
family’s musical legacy with Ellis. A gifted musician,
videographer, and photographer in his own right, Cash casually
captured a handful of priceless images of Stuart and Ellis on
black and white film.
As the session was wrapping, Cash invited
Ellis to join the tradition of signing the mantle in Cash Cabin.
Ellis left with the feeling of being part of something magical,
something much bigger than a recording session.
Stuart, when speaking of Ellis, reflects,
“It’s cool that Wyatt is writing music. That's where it's at. We
don't need more people playing the same old stuff. I'm glad he's
putting some new language out there.”
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Upcoming dates:
*with Marty Stuart ** with Molly Tuttle
*** with Del McCoury Band
3/23
Knoxville, TN
Big Ears Festival 2024
3/28
Alexandria, VA The
Birchmere *
3/29
Hopewell, VA
The Beacon Theatre *
3/30
Albany, NY
Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatre *
4/5
Philadelphia, MS The
Ellis Theatre ***
4/25-28
Wilkesboro, NC Merlefest 2024
4/28
Memphis, TN
Growlers **
5/5
Nashville, TN
Country Music Hall of Fame - Musician's Corner
5/11
Knoxville, TN
Southern Skies Music Festival 2024
6/1
Ogden, UT
Ogden Music Festival 2024
6/18-21
Oak Hill, NY Grey Fox
Bluegrass Festival 2024
7/24-28
Floyd, VA Floyd
Fest 2024
8/30-9/1
Mill Spring, NC Earl Scruggs Music Festival
2024
9/6-7
Berryville, VA
Watermelon Picker's Fest
9/29-29
Franklin, TN Pilgramage Music
& Cultural Festival
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ABOUT
WYATT ELLIS:
Born in the rich music bed of East
Tennessee, Ellis has quickly become one of the most-watched young
musicians in bluegrass music. In a recent review, Billboard magazine stated, “Ellis has quickly cemented
himself as a sterling newcomer in the bluegrass scene.” A true
statement, as evidenced when his debut single, “Grassy Cove,”
went to #1 on the Bluegrass Today charts, and his second single, “Get Lost,”
debuted #5 on the same chart. The week of March 5, Ellis had five
singles on the Bluegrass Today charts. He was also recently tapped to
make an appearance at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival.
Ellis's upcoming appearances include opening for Marty Stuart and
Molly Tuttle, and performing at prestigious music festivals.
A devotee of Bill Monroe, Ellis has been
mentored by many iconic musicians, including Sierra Hull, Bobby
Osborne, Mike Compton, and others. Ellis has studied with
mandolin masters, composed his own original instrumentals, and
transitioned from playing alone in his living room to performing
seamlessly alongside bluegrass legends and Hall of Famers. In his
two short years on the scene, Ellis has become a
multi-instrumentalist and has been invited to perform on stage
with some of the most iconic musicians of this era, including
Billy Strings, Dierks Bentley, Peter Rowan, Sam Bush, Bryan
Sutton, Dailey & Vincent, and Marty Stuart.
www.wyattellis.com
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P.O. Box 210588
Nashville, TN 37221-0588
Phone: 615 952-9250
www.morrispr.biz
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