Leon Russell: Rock ’n roll Renaissance man appears in Missoula and Billing
Published: October 9, 2011
Rock ’n roll Renaissance man Leon Russell comes to Missoula Oct. 26 and Billings Oct. 27.
There is little that this Oklahoma-bred singer-pianist hasn’t done. His quixotic half-century in music stretches from his teen years in Oklahoma in the late ’50s to his best-selling collaboration with Elton John from 2010, The Union.
Between his solo work, contributions to high-profile albums by other artists, and screen exposure in documentaries about George Harrison’s Bangla Desh benefit and Joe Cocker’s “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” revue, Russell became a veritable superstar in the ’70s.
As an in-demand session musician in Los Angeles during the Sixties, Russell played on countless records, including many of Phil Spector’s productions and hits by the Byrds, Paul Revere and the Raiders, and Gary Lewis and the Playboys. He also played piano in the house band for Shindig!, ABC-TV’s weekly rock ’n roll show.
Beyond these highly visible roles, he’s been a notable music-business entrepreneur, having founded his own studio (Skyhill) and several labels (Shelter, Paradise and Leon Russell Records). Russell is also a prolific and celebrated songwriter, composing such hits as “A Song for You,” “This Masquerade” and “Superstar.”
As a recording artist, his all-encompassing style ranges from raucous, gospel-inflected rock to heartfelt romantic ballads. He’s also cut albums of country and bluegrass music, delved into the Great American Songbook, and recorded an album of Christmas hymns.
With his long, flowing beard and top hat, Russell cut a memorable figure on concert stages during the ’70s, when he was the self-styled “Master of Time and Space.” His churchy, rolling piano figures and sly, drawling vocals pegged him as a unique stylist, and his evangelical outpouring of energy from the stage made his concerts, as Russell put it, “an artificially induced religious experience.”
Over the course of five decades, Russell has proven himself to be a proudly eclectic product of America’s vast musical landscape. “I like all kinds of music, and I hate to do the same thing all the time,” he remarked of his far-ranging muse.
Russell’s 2010 collaboration with Elton John, The Union, entered the Billboard chart at No. 3 and Rolling Stone ranked it as the No. 3 album of 2010.
– From rockhall.com
Ticket info:
Missoula: 8 p.m. Oct. 26 at the University Theatre (888-MONTANA or www.griztix.com)
Billings: 8 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Babcock Theater (800-514-3849 or www.jadepresents.com)
