LEON RUSSELL
''LIFE JOURNEY''
APRIL 1 2014
48:13
1 /Come On in My Kitchen
Robert Johnson/2:20
2 /Big Lips
Leon Russell/3:12
3 /Georgia on My Mind
Hoagy Carmichael / Stuart Gorrell /feat: Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra /4:52
4 /That Lucky Old Sun
Haven Gillespie / Beasley Smith/4:09
5 /Fever
Eddie Cooley / John Davenport/4:19
6 /Think of Me
Mike Reid/3:28
7 /I Got It Bad & That Ain’t Good
Edward Kennedy Ellington / Paul Francis Webster /feat: Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra/4:29
8 /The Masquerade Is Over
Herb Magidson / Allie Wrubel/5:44
9 /I Really Miss You
Paul Anka/4:12
10 /New York State of Mind
Billy Joel /feat: Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra/5:27
11 /Fool’s Paradise
Johnny Fuller / Robert L. Geddins / Dr. David Rosenbaum/2:54
12 /Down in Dixieland
Leon Russell /feat: Dixieland Band/3:07
Elena Barere /Concert Master
George Bohanon /Trombone
Alan Broadbent /String Arrangements
Lee Callet /Sax (Tenor)
William Cantos /Vocals (Background)
Gilbert Castellanos /Trumpet
Alvin Chea /Vocals (Background)
Jeff Clayton /Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
John Clayton /Arranger, Bass, Conductor
Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra /Featured Artist
Sal Cracchiolo /Trumpet
Graham Dechter /Guitar (Acoustic)
Jill Dell'Abate /String Contractor
Dixieland Band /Featured Artist
Keith Fiddmont /Sax (Alto)
James Ford /Trumpet
Robben Ford /Guitar
Larry Goldings /Hammond B3
James Gordon /Clarinet
Jeff Hamilton /Drums
Clay Jenkins /Trumpet
Abe Laboriel, Jr. /Drums
Greg Leisz /Pedal Steel Guitar
Darrell Leonard /Flugelhorn, Trumpet
Tommy LiPuma /Producer
Christoph Luty /Bass
Hugh McCracken /Guitar, Soloist
Perry Morgan /Vocals (Background)
Ira Nepus /Trombone
Charles Owens /Sax (Tenor)
Ryan Porter /Trombone
Louis Price /Vocals (Background)
Leon Russell /Piano, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Chris Simmons /Slide Guitar
Maurice Spears /Trombone (Bass)
Bijon Watson /Trumpet
Willie Weeks /Bass
Anthony Wilson /Guitar
Rickey Woodard /Sax (Tenor)
REVIEW
By Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Prior to his
Elton John-endorsed career resurrection via the 2010 duet album
The Union,
Leon Russell cranked out self-released oddities to little notice. Once
The Union again made
Russell a draw, there was little chance that he would revive his MIDI keyboards, and
Life Journey indeed stays far, far away from those cramped, tinny settings, preferring to revive the loose-limbed, woolly Tulsan rock & roll that made his reputation. Working with
Tommy LiPuma -- a veteran producer who had never recorded with
Russell but who helmed many successful jazz sessions, including
George Benson's Grammy-winning
Breezin' --
Russell primarily sticks to standards, whether they're by
Robert Johnson,
Hoagy Carmichael, or
Billy Joel, and that's how it should be. Although he's a fine songwriter, as evidenced here by his two originals -- "Big Lips" and "Down in Dixieland," raucous numbers both --
Russell is a stylist, bending songs to fit his swinging piano and slow drawl. He may occasionally follow a straight line with a ballad but he knows how to draw out the phrases on "That Lucky Old Sun," finding an unexpected contour in familiar melody, and he finds funk in "Come On in My Kitchen" while tearing up "Fever" and leaving "New York State of Mind" as a splashy big-band celebration of the Big Apple. This small list suggests how
Life Journey touches upon much of the music
Russell has sung over the years -- it's heavy on R&B, blues, jazz, and swing, but strangely lacking in much country -- and
LiPuma is a perfect match for this celebratory approach. Where
The Union occasionally veered toward the austere,
Life Journey is robust and soulful, emphasizing the raggedness of
Russell's voice and smooth boogie in his playing. It's a joyous thing to hear, a record that recaptures much of the magic of
Leon's Shelter records without being fussy.
BIOGRAPHY
By Jason Ankeny
The ultimate rock & roll session man,
Leon Russell's long and storied career includes collaborations with a virtual who's-who of music icons spanning from
Jerry Lee Lewis to
Phil Spector to
the Rolling Stones. A similar eclecticism and scope also surfaced in his solo work, which couched his charmingly gravelly voice in a rustic yet rich swamp pop fusion of country, blues, and gospel. Born
Claude Russell Bridges on April 2, 1942, in Lawton, Oklahoma, he began studying classical piano at age three, a decade later adopting the trumpet and forming his first band. At 14,
Russell lied about his age to land a gig at a Tulsa nightclub, playing behind
Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks before touring in support of
Jerry Lee Lewis. Two years later, he settled in Los Angeles, studying guitar under the legendary
James Burton and appearing on sessions with
Dorsey Burnette and
Glen Campbell. As a member of
Spector's renowned studio group,
Russell played on many of the finest pop singles of the '60s, also arranging classics like
Ike & Tina Turner's monumental "River Deep, Mountain High"; other hits bearing his input include
the Byrds' "Mr. Tambourine Man,"
Gary Lewis & the Playboys' "This Diamond Ring," and
Herb Alpert's "A Taste of Honey."
In 1967,
Russell built his own recording studio, teaming with guitarist
Marc Benno to record the acclaimed
Look Inside the Asylum Choir LP. While touring with
Delaney & Bonnie, he scored his first songwriting hit with
Joe Cocker's reading of "Delta Lady," and in 1970, upon founding his own Shelter Records imprint, he also organized
Cocker's legendary
Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour. After the subsequent tour film earned
Russell his first real mainstream attention, he issued a self-titled solo LP, and in 1971 appeared at
George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh following sessions for
B.B. King,
Eric Clapton, and
Bob Dylan. After touring with
the Rolling Stones,
Russell increasingly focused on his solo career, reaching the number two spot with 1972's
Carney and scoring his first pop hit with the single "Tight Rope." While the success of 1973's three-LP set
Leon Live further established his reputation as a top concert draw, response to the country-inspired studio effort
Hank Wilson's Back was considerably more lukewarm, as was the reception afforded to 1974's
Stop All That Jazz. 1975's
Will O' the Wisp, however, restored his commercial luster, thanks in large part to the lovely single "Lady Blue."
In June of 1975,
Russell married singer
Mary McCreary; the following year the couple collaborated on
The Wedding Album, issued through his newly formed Paradise Records label. Also in 1976, the
Russell-penned "This Masquerade" earned a Grammy Award for singer
George Benson.
Russell and
McCreary reunited for 1977's
Make Love to the Music, and upon completing the solo
Americana,
Russell teamed with
Willie Nelson for 1979's
Willie & Leon. He then spent the next two years touring with his bluegrass band,
the New Grass Revival, issuing a live LP in 1981; although Paradise shut down later that year, the label was reactivated for 1984's
Hank Wilson, Vol. 2 and
Solid State.
Russell spent the remainder of the decade largely outside of music and did not resurface until issuing the
Bruce Hornsby-produced
Anything Can Happen in 1992. The album appeared to little fanfare, however, and another long period of relative inactivity followed prior to the 1998 release of
Hank Wilson, Vol. 3: Legend in My Time.
Face in the Crowd appeared a year later. Moving into the new century,
Russell issued
Moonlight & Love Songs, an album of cover songs, in 2002, followed by
Angel in Disguise five years later in 2007. A trio of releases,
Almost Piano,
Bad Country, and
In Your Dreams appeared in 2008.
Russell's years in the wilderness ended in 2010 when long-time admirer
Elton John contacted the pianist about recording a duet album. Produced by
T-Bone Burnett, the 2010 album
The Union was greeted by strong reviews and sales, reviving
Russell's career in a single stroke. After playing a joint tour with
John,
Russell returned to the road on his own and eventually got around to recording a solo comeback called
Life Journey, which appeared in April 2014.
