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Leon Russell with Special Guest Riley Etheridge Jr. with Riley Etheridge Jr.

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With more than a dozen charting singles, a bunch of gold and platinum albums, this legendary Rock N’ Roll Hall of Famer comes to Hartford for his triumphant return performance at Infinity Hall. Join us for a musical journey covering six decades of radio hits and deep album cuts plus songs from his critically acclaimed new album as well.

Leon Russell

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www.leonrussellrecords.com

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Artist Bio

Leon Russell is a music legend and perhaps the most accomplished and versatile musician in the history of rock 'n roll.  In his distinguished and unique 50 year career, he has played on, arranged, written and/or produced some of the best records in popular music.  

Leon has played on pop, rock, blues, country, bluegrass, standards, gospel, and surf records.  As a session musician, arranger, producer, singer, songwriter, pianist, guitarist, record company owner, bandleader, and touring musician, he has collaborated with hundreds of artists, including Elton John, Glen Campbell, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson, Edgar Winter, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, J.J. Cale, David Gates, Bruce Hornsby, Hal Blaine, Tommy Tedesco, Bobby "Boris" Pickett, B.B. King, Freddie King, Bill Wyman, Steve Cropper, Carl Radle, Chuck Blackwell, Don Preston, Jesse Ed Davis, Rita Coolidge, Gram Parsons, Barbra Streisand, Ike & Tina Turner, Ricky Nelson,  Herb Alpert, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Ann-Margret, Dean Martin, Marvin Gaye, Dave Mason, Steve Winwood, and groups such as Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, The Monkees, The Astronauts, The Accents, The Fencemen, The Ventures, The Beach Boys, The Byrds,  Jan & Dean, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Rolling Stones, The Ronettes, The Crystals, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Everly Brothers, The Righteous Brothers, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Tractors and on and on and on…   

Born in southwest Oklahoma in 1942, Leon began piano lessons at age 4.  He was playing in Tulsa nightclubs at the age of 14.  After graduating from high school, Leon's band, The Starlighters, went on the road with Jerry Lee Lewis.   Leon left Tulsa at the age of 17 for Los Angeles where he began playing in the L.A. clubs and eventually became one of the best session musicians in Hollywood. He worked with the best Hollywood producers and top musicians in the business.  

Leon became part of an elite group of studio musicians called the Wrecking Crew and played on hundreds of hit records in the 1960's.  He was part of studio groups such as The Routers and The Super Stocks.  The Routers recorded the huge hit "Let's Go" and The Super Stocks recorded surf and hot rod tunes.  In 1964, Leon was a member of the the house band on the Shindig! show on ABC television which showcased the top pop acts.  

Leon built a recording studio in his home in 1967 where he and Marc Benno recorded songs which were released on two critically acclaimed records as the 'Asylum Choir'.  

Leon co-produced, arranged, and played piano, organ, and guitar on Joe Cocker's second album, 'Joe Cocker!' in 1969.  He also recorded and toured with 'Delaney & Bonnie & Friends'.

Leon founded Shelter Records with partner Denny Cordell and released Leon's first solo album, "Leon Russell" in May, 1970.  It included Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr, Rolling Stones Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, Steve Winwood, Eric Clapton, and Klaus Voorman.    The album contained classic Leon songs,  'A Song For You', along with 'Hummingbird', and 'Delta Lady'.  

Shelter Records was home for not only Leon but many other artists such as Freddie King, Don Nix, J.J. Cale, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Gap Band, Dwight Twilley and Phoebe Snow.   Leon played on and produced three Shelter albums for blues guitarist Freddie King.

As a songwriter, Leon's songs have hit the charts across all genres and have been covered by a diverse range of artists.  Ray Charles recorded 'A Song For You', B.B. King had a hit with 'Hummingbird', The Carpenters with 'Superstar' and Joe Cocker with 'Delta Lady'.  The Carpenter's cover of "Superstar", written by Leon and Bonnie Bramlett, went to #2 on the pop music charts.  George Benson won the "Record of the Year" Grammy in 1976 for his cover of Leon's song, "This Masquerade", and it became the first song in music history to hit #1 on the jazz, pop and R&B charts.  

Leon organized and led the band behind Joe Cocker for the famous "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" tour of the U.S. in March-May, 1970.  The huge 11 member band included 3 drummers and a 10 member choir which played 65 shows in 48 cities.  The tour was filmed for the movie "Mad Dogs & Englishmen".  The live double-LP album on A&M Records reached #2 on the U.S. album charts and sold over a million copies.  Leon was part of Delaney & Bonnie and Friends.

On August 1st, 1971, Leon joined George Harrison and friends for two performances of the Concert For Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in New York to raise money for refugees.  His "Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood" medley was considered the highlight of the show by some.  The album won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.  

Leon's first solo album to earn a Gold record was "Leon Russell and The Shelter People" (1971).  The "Carney" album, released in 1972, would be his best seller and included the single, "Tight Rope" which reached #11 on the pop music charts.  

By 1972, Leon was a major concert attraction.  Billboard Magazine named Leon the top concert attraction for 1973.  His concert at Long Beach, CA on August 28, 1972 was recorded and released on the triple-LP album 'Leon Live' which rose to #9 on the pop charts.

Leon released the second Asylum Choir album, 'Asylum Choir II", in 1972 from songs recorded years earlier.

At the height of his popularity as a rock star, Leon released a country music album, "Hank Wilson's Back" under the name Hank Wilson on August 31st,1973.

His last Shelter Records studio album, "Will O' The Wisp" (1975), included the hit single "Lady Blue" (#14 on the charts) and went Gold.  "The Best Of Leon" was released in 1976 and earned a 6th Gold Record.

Leon founded Paradise Records a Warner Bros. label and released albums from 1976-84 such as "The Wedding Album", "Make Love To The Music", "Americana", "Life And Love", "Solid State" and "Hank Wilson Vol. II".

Leon co-hosted with Willie Nelson, the first of Willie's 4th of July picnics.  Leon has continued to be a regular performer at Willie's picnics through the years.  Leon joined Willie on tour and they teamed in 1979 for the country album, "One For The Road", which earned a Gold record and was honored by the Country Music Association with a nomination for "Album Of The Year".   The album included the song "Heartbreak Hotel" that won the Grammy Award in 1980 for Best Country Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.  

In 1980-81, Leon toured with the New Grass Revival and released the 'Live Album' from their performances.  In 1984 Leon released his second country album under the Hank Wilson name, "Hank Wilson Vol. II".  

Leon and Edgar Winter toured together in the late 1980's.  In 1992, he teamed up with Bruce Hornsby (producer) for the album "Anything Can Happen" released on Virgin Records.  Edgar Winter also played on the album.  In 1998 "Hank Wilson Vol. 3: Legend In My Time" and 1999's "Face In The Crowd".  In 2001, Russell played with Earl Scruggs and Friends on "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" which earned a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance.

Leon joined a number of artists in honoring Willie Nelson on his 70th birthday celebration at the Beacon Theatre in New York city in April, 2003.   Leon performed his classic 'A Song For You' with Willie and Ray Charles and also sang "Jumpin' Jack Flash".  The show was filmed for the special "Willie Nelson: Live and Kickin'".

In April 2006, Leon was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the Bare Bones International Film Festival.  In October 2006, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame.

Leon performed at the 2010 Grammys with the Zac Brown Band. He performed with Elton John at Music Cares honoring Neil Young in January 2010.

Leon continues to write songs, record, and thrill audiences on his non-stop tour across the U.S. Leon's son Teddy Jack, and daughters Sugaree and Tina Rose have previously been in his band and toured with him.   His bass player, Jack Wessel, has been in his band for 33 years.

Riley Etheridge Jr.

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www.rileyetheridge.com

Respected singer-songwriter Riley Etheridge Jr. has reached many people with his poetic and vulnerable songwriting. His carefully crafted four-album catalog is rife with haunting and healing stories of the human condition, each emotionally resonate and each thoughtfully placed within well-developed thematic albums.  But after an artistic epiphany, and a spontaneous jolt of creativity, he made the brave decision to break the mold and write the invigorating party record, The Straight and Narrow Way.

“I remember a gig in North Carolina. During the third or fourth song people came down from their seats and danced,” the NYC-based artist recalls. “It just lifted all of us up, it was fun, and I realized a new way I could connect with people.”

The seeds of this album were sown over a weekend of spontaneous creativity with longtime producer Wendell Tilley and gutbucket guitarist extraordinaire Shane Theriot (Neville Brothers and Dr. John) who has played in Etheridge’s live band but hasn’t factored in the creative orbit of Tilley and Etheridge until now. The trio reimagined the Riley Etheridge Jr. dynamic, suspending preconceptions and creative patterns, to see where writing some guitar-based rock n’ roll could lead. Guest musician, and roots rock icon, drummer Jim Keltner summed up the work perfectly when he described it as sounding like “Steely Dan got lost over a long weekend in New Orleans."

The eleven-song The Straight And Narrow Way is a sharp and festive collection album of funky Americana.  The brawny bluesy “Roll Away The Stone” is the album’s creative epicenter.  “That was the first song we wrote. It was just the three of us in the studio on the floor writing about a weekend of partying gone bad,” Etheridge says with a chuckle.” The sweetly nostalgic relationship track “Song For Amy” blends Etheridge’s literate sensitivity with his newfound swagger. The stunning duet with Sara Watkins, “The Maze,” is a back porch ballad that evokes Etheridge’s most tender work and provides a nice dynamic contrast to the album’s party groove.

The Straight And Narrow Way was born from freewheeling recording sessions in Los Angeles, Nashville, and New Orleans. Its loose and vibey feel is a testament to the folks Etheridge had the good taste to invite to the party. The album features Sara Watkins from Nickel Creek, Joe Sample vocalist Erica Falls, former Allman Brother Johnny Neel, Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor), and drummer Jim Keltner  (Traveling Wilburys, Bob Dylan, Elvis, John Lennon).

Finding a fresh way to connect with people has been a revelation for Etheridge. “I really cherish my relationship with the fans. Last album, during the record release party, people were crying in the aisles, it was meaningful to have that interaction. I feel like this time maybe they’ll be dancing on tables,” he says with a good-natured laugh.

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