Robert Ellis began his career as a pretty conventional guitar-toting troubadour (and a good one at that). But he’s gone through one of the more memorable reinventions in recent memory with his stylish new album Texas Piano Man, which should be subtitled “Captain Fantastic and the White-Suit Cowboy.” Sporting an immaculate white tux and fedora, Ellis sat down at the piano and began to croon: “I’m fuckin’ crazy…” He couldn’t seem to stay seated as the set progressed, standing up to play even though it meant bending down to the microphone on odes to everything from passive aggression to Topo Chico. It was fantastic Elton John-style showmanship.
Speaking of Sir Elton, what would his music be like if he lived in Texas, loved smoking, abhorred passive aggressiveness, wore strictly white suits, and had a penchant for consuming a specific bubbly water with lime? You can get a pretty good idea by listening to Ellis’ Texas Piano Man.
From the album ‘Texas Piano Man,’
The Fat Angel Sings 