Leon Russell – Life Journey (2014)
On Life Journey, Russell celebrates the songs of 10 other writers, infusing them with the vibrant bounce and spirit that has long been his signature. Russell opens the album with Robert Johnson’s ‘Come On In My Kitchen’, leading a tour of his majestic musical house that continues with Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell’s ‘Georgia On My Mind’, Haven Gillespie and Beasley Smith’s ‘That Lucky Old Sun’, John Davenport and Eddie Cooley’s ‘Fever’, Mike Reid’s ‘Think Of Me’, Duke Ellington and Paul Francis Webster’s ‘I Got It Bad & That Ain’t Good’, Herb Magidson and Allie Wrubel’s ‘The Masquerade Is Over’ (featuring a lush orchestral arrangement, a wistful glance back to Russell’s own ‘This Masquerade’), Paul Anka’s ‘I Really Miss You’, Billy Joel’s ‘New York State Of Mind’, and Johnny Fuller, Robert L. Geddins, and David Rosenbaum’s ‘Fool’s Paradise’. With Life Journey, Leon Russell reminisces with some of the musical touchstones that have inspired him, while bringing forth new songs of his own, for an album that looks back with the love, loss, joy, and peace that’s collected during a life well lived. How fortunate the world is for Leon Russell to share his life and time with us in song, all these years.
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."
Look Inside the Asylum Choir
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."
Wedding Album
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.
The Union
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.