Nellie "Tiger" Travis
The girl's got
Soul. I'm not talking about shallow vocal tricks but deep Gladys
Knight/Tina Turner Soul from the gut...
Like many Soul
singers Nellie Travis's love affair with music began at church in
her hometown Mound Bayou, Mississippi. During mid 1980's she san
lead for the Mississippi based group "SSIPP", opening for acts from
Dee Dee Warwick to Ray Charles. During this period she also recorded
extensively in Memphis under the direction of Ed Townsend.
Since relocating to Chicago in 1992, Nellie has been singing
throughout the Chicago, Texas, Ohio, Kentucky, California,
Mississippi, New York, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia, Michigan and
Wisconsin.
Having blossomed as a blues force to be reckon with, Nellie now
performs with her own band, The Men in Black. Not only is she a
staple in the "Home Of The Blues" (Chicago) but she also has
standing engagements overseas, performing in Greece, Germany,
Brazil, Italy and Japan.
Ms. Travis released her debut CD in September 2000 titled "I Got
It Like That". It was a critically-acclaimed set of mostly
original Blues. In the same year she appeared on a Japanese-
backed CD featuring Shun Kikuta entitled "Heart & Soul" for
Yoshinaga Ichinose M & I Co. Nellie is also featured artist on
Biscuit Miller's debut release, lending her vocal talents in a duet
called "Let's Go Fishing".
In 2005 her CD, "Wanna Be With You",
became an underground smash on the "Southern Soul" circuit. Songs
like "You Gone Make Me Cheat" & "If I Back It Up" can still be heard
frequently on radio and in clubs.
This success
continued in 2007 when she
signed with CDS Records and released "I'm A Woman"
Album
Discography
"I Got It Like That" (Tiger Belle 2000)
1. Oil
& Water
2. I've Got Amnesia
3. One Man's Woman
4. I Got It Like That
5. Hooked On You
6. Dime & A Quarter
7. It's Over
8. Something Special
9. Get Your Groove On
10. Thank You
11. Thinking Of You
Shun Kiluta & Nellie Tiger Travis "Heart And Soul" (Blues Sox 2000)
1.
Dirty Old Woman
2. Thrill Is Gone
3. Higher Ground
4. I'd Rather Go Blind
5. Let's Do It Again
6. Muddy's home
7. Got My Mojo Working
8. Chicago midnight
9. Give me one reason
10. Dreamer
11. I've got amnesia
"Wanna Be With You" (Da' Man 2005)
1.
Baby Mama Drama
2. Super Woman
3. You Gone Make Me Cheat
4. Sex Machine
5. Teary Eyed
6. Good Lovin Daddy
7. One of These Days
8. Baby Baby Baby
9. I Wanna Be With You
10. If I Back It Up
11. Who's Foolin Who ?
12. What You Won't Do
*** The
first thing I noticed about this disc (other than the lovely woman
on the cover) was that it was produced by Floyd Hamberlin Jr., whose
production I've enjoyed on music by Tyrone Davis, Stan Mosley &
Charles Wilson to name a few. And fortunately his signature
programming is here on Nellie Tiger Travis' new LP. Mississippi
native Travis first released a fine record called "I Got It Like
That", which featured straight ahead blues, soul & jazzy aplomb but
"Wanna Be With You" is a Southern Soul record. She has a supple
voice that can alternate between smooth jazzy flavorings and sweaty
blues with ease but now she's mastering this new genre. The songs
are mostly midtempo, head-bobbin' jams like "Who's Foolin Who?", "If
I Back It Up", "Good Lovin Daddy", "Baby Baby Baby" and the lead cut
"Baby Mama Drama". Rick Lawson approached this "baby mama drama"
topic from a man's POV earlier this year but Nellie takes the role
of the girlfriend who's fed up with her man's "baby mama drama" with
his ex. A very modern reality indeed. On the slow tip, "Teary Eyed"
is a perfect vehicle for Travis to display her soulful voice. It's
full of heartbreak and emotion like the way Ms. Gladys Knight would
deliver it! Ms. Travis can also slowrollit with the best of 'em on
"Sex Machine". She's the kind of singer who seems to get better with
each listen. She doesn't do vocal back flips like a Mariah or pant
n' coo like a Britney she just reaches you by singing from her soul.
Bottom line: If you love Southern Soul the way I do youre gonna "Wanna
Be With" Nellie 'cuz this disc's as sweet as ice cream on a muggy
day.
Nellie "Tiger"
Travis "I'm A Woman" (CDS 2008)
1. Don't Know Where
You're Going (Intro)
2. I'm a Woman
3. Slap Yo' Weave Off
4. Don't Talk to Me
5. M.O.D.
6. Rock With You
7. I Saw It On Oprah
8. Who Knows You (Feat. Stan Mosley)
9. Candy Girl
10. Mama Didn't Raise No Punks
11. Running On Empty
***1/2 Ms.
Travis is one of the hottest Divas in the Soul Blues about now.
She's done it with attitude and a truly soulful voice. She's the
Gladys Knight of Southern Soul. Of course in her hometown of Chicago
she's mostly known as a 12-bar Blues belter who plays sings several
days a week. But in the chittlin' circuit she's becoming a huge
favorite.
Like her last CD, "Wanna Be With You", this new one is mostly
produced by Floyd Hamberlin Jr. and that has it's plusses and
minuses. He has a tendency to program/write his share of monotonous
cuts like "Mama Didn't Raise No Punks" and the pedestrian "I Saw It
On Oprah" but more often he comes up with some of the catchiest
programming around like the hilarious ditty "Slap Yo' Weave Off" and
the booming, anthem "I'm A Woman" which is the best song about
female empowerment I've heard in years. Hamberlin also serves up two
knockout ballads. "Don't Talk To Me" is a n emotional tornado sung
by a scorned woman and "Running On Empty" a devastating number about
a dying marriage. Travis is a powerhouse on the microphone.
Also included is a terrific duet ballad with soulman Stan Mosley
("Who Knows You") and Travis' signature song "Amnesia". This is a
very good CD, as good as anything on the circuit, but I have a
feeling Nellie hasn't even hit her peak yet.
Nellie Tiger Travis
"I'm In Love With A Man I Can't Stand" (CDS 2009)
"I'm Going Out Tonight" (Benevolent Blues 201
"Nellie
Sings The Blues" (Aviara Music 2014) 
"2 On 1 CD: I'm In Love With A Man I Can't
Stand + I'm Going Out Tonight" (CDS Records 2016)
"Mr. Sexy Man: The Album" (Wegonsee
Records 2017)