And now Leon Russell has died

[ex-khobar Andy]

This has not been a good week.

[RayThom]

His last album was "Life Journey." He must have seen it coming. I was never a fan but he did have his moments.

"Only" 74 -- that's the most distressing thing to me.

[Joe Guy]

My favorite...

[rubato]

I grew up in a house filled with recordings by all of the greatest piano players of the 20th century, piano rolls by Jelly Roll Morton, Cow Cow Davenport, Steven J Lewis, and a beautiful duet of "If I could be with you" by James P Johnson and Fats Waller, 78s 45s and LPs of everyone since then from Jimmy Yancey and Meade Lux Lewis, Clarence Loften, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Otis Spann, Mac Rebannac, Professor Longhair and James Booker (Saint James Booker if you heard him) and Leon was one of the greatest piano players of his era. He had drive, funk, soul and syncopation by the bushel. He had a Rock and Roll life and it shortened it a bit. Sorry about that

Glad I got to hear him in his "arena" era. And then again later when he was playing clubs.

But I am grateful to have come along in the century when we could record and hear again and again what was before as ephemeral as a nice dinner. If you can find a copy of "Piano Roll Hall of Fame"with the above mentioned duet, buy it. Its not easy to find.



Yours,
rubato

[kristina]

Very sad.

I got to see him earlier this year at the Mystic Theater in Petaluma. He put on a great show.