Slim Pickens is the musical alter ego of Chris Ellis, a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has played in Celtic, Bluegrass, folk and country bands, in duos and trios and at several Victorian and Tasmanian folk festivals.
Chris bought his first guitar at the age of 15. Mostly self-taught, he had some early musical training and was influenced by his parents.
‘I play ballads by Neil Young and Tom Waits and I like to put my own stamp on 40s and 50s jazz standards,’ Chris says. ‘I also have 30 or so original compositions. I’m a self-professed magpie who collects songs.’
I watched Chris perform as Slim Pickens in a trio at the 2024 Cygnet Folk Festival. He is a master of the harmonica, one of my favourite instruments.
‘In the 1970s at Tas Uni I learned a lot from listening to Bill Hicks,’ Chris says. ‘He was an astonishingly good finger picker on guitar.’
In his mid-thirties, he started performing in and around Geelong where he lived, playing at many white-board sessions in the area. He played Bluegrass-style music in a duo then trio and played in many festivals. He taught in Lorne and had various residencies in upmarket restaurants.
‘In July 2020 I moved back to the Huon, where I’m building a house in Cygnet,’ Chris says. ‘I joined the Franklin Folk Club and I play with local legend Steve Gadd and I enjoy the wonderful experience of the region’s close-knit music and folk communities.’
Chris says the Huon Valley has a mystical and magical climate and spectacular natural landscapes.
‘Maybe it’s the environment that attracts so many creative and musical people,’ he says. ‘As well, for many years the Cygnet Folk Festival also encourages young people to have a go.’
Chris tells me about Cygnet local Luke Plumb, who started out as a busker at the festival and now tours internationally and has forged a musical career.
‘Through his work with Shooglenifty, Andy Irvine and his many collaborations in Australia, Luke Plumb has established a reputation as a driving force in acoustic music on the global stage,’ Chris says. ‘And it all started right here in the Huon Valley,’
‘Harmonies of the Huon: Exploring the melodies and musings of Huon Valley artists‘ is a Creative Huon series in collaboration with Huon Valley Council and Huon Valley Tas, showcasing the Huon Valley’s musical talents, their inspiration and journeys.
