The Union

Leon Russell and Elton John first performed together  on piano and guitar forty years ago. On October 19, they will release a new album entitled The Union.

I became a fan of Leon Russell back in the mid-seventies after seeing him in concert with my college roommate. Elton John describes Russell as the most influential pianist in his career and captures my feelings about him in an interview promoting the album on Amazon, confessing that he's pissed off that people seem to have forgotten about him. Here's a recording of one of the songs, "I Should Have Sent Roses."




What's interesting to me is how Russell's mastery of the piano sharpened through the years.  Compare this 1971 recording session to a later performance here.  This enduring pair definitely gives life to another song from the album, "You're Never Too Old."