Spontaneous Combustion

• Artist: Ellen McIlwaine
• Rating:
• Release Date: September 24, 2002
• Genre: Folk

Review

Rarely has an album title so captured the essence of a performer. Ever restless and eager to expand her musical horizons, this fiery slide guitar star burns with an unquenchable inner flame, which crackles on the electrifying title track. "Mockingbird," one of two duets with Taj Mahal, gets an expected reggae treatment to open, but McIlwaine also raises the roof with some wild Middle Eastern sounds on "Sidu (Grandmother)" and the album-closing "Egyptian Blues (True Mummy Theme)." This, her second straight release on the same German label, is a strong and versatile effort that is well worth a search. ~ Mark Allan, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Mockingbird	Inez Foxx, Charlie Foxx	Ellen McIlwaine	(3:16)
Take Me to the River	Al Green, Mabon "Teenie" Hodges	Ellen McIlwaine	(5:20)
Dead End Street	Ellen McIlwaine	Ellen McIlwaine	(4:34)
Up from the Skies	Jimi Hendrix	Ellen McIlwaine	(3:03)
Sidu (Grandmother)	Ellen McIlwaine	Ellen McIlwaine	(6:07)
Sitting on Top of the World	Walter Vinson, Lonnie Chatmon	Ellen McIlwaine	(2:24)
Bid You Goodnight	Traditional	Ellen McIlwaine	(2:36)
Spontaneous Combustion	Ellen McIlwaine	Ellen McIlwaine	(4:37)
Say a Single Word	Ellen McIlwaine	Ellen McIlwaine	(5:28)
Egyptian Blues (True Mummy Theme)	Ellen McIlwaine	Ellen McIlwaine	(5:30)

Credits

Rolf Kirschbaum (Mixing Engineer), Ellen McIlwaine (Guitar (Acoustic)), Ellen McIlwaine (Piano), Kester Smith (Drums), Bill Rich (Bass), Petra Hanisch (Producer), Ellen McIlwaine (Vocals), Ellen McIlwaine (Guitar (Electric)), Rolf Kirschbaum (Mastering), Kester Smith (Conga), Mell Dettmer (Engineer), Taj Mahal (Vocals), Petra Hanisch (Photography), Ralf Wittke (Cover Design)