Leon Russell Concert Review

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Thirty-nine years ago I was a wide-eyed 16-year-old who had just experienced Leon Russell in concert for the first time. This was in 1972 and the tour was the one that produced the classic triple album, Leon Live. As I remember, Russell played for close to three hours, with him and his 10-piece band whipping up a gospel-infused frenzy. Leon would get so worked up he ended up standing on his piano, guitar strapped on, exhorting the audience like a preacher at a revival.

A lot has changed since then. Russell, who just turned 69 this month, made his way slowly to his place behind his keyboard with the aid of a cane when he appeared at Auckland’s Powerstation. But he proved he still has the power of rock & soul roaring in his belly as he opened with Delta Lady, followed by Rolling In My Sweet Baby’s Arms and Stranger In A Strange Land.

These days Leon has a full-flowing white beard. He also wore a large white hat and sunglasses during most of the show, making him come across like some mysterious shaman. His band is smaller now…four additional musicians…guitarists Chris Simmons and Beau Charron, bass player Jackie Wessel and drummer Brandon Holder.

Together they came across as a very accomplished bar band, backing Leon through his own songs…Lady Blue, Hummingbird, Tightrope…and a random mix of covers… Georgia On My Mind, Baby What You Want Me To Do, Let The Good Times Roll.

Russell was surprisingly talkative, regaling the small, but appreciative audience, with a story about hanging out with a Nudie-suited Gram Parsons before singing Wild Horses and getting a lesson in songwriting from Bob Dylan, who, according to Russell, wrote Watching The River Flow on the back of an envelope while listening to another track being played back in the studio. Leon then sang A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall. The Beatles and The Stones were represented with I’ve Just Seen A Face and Jumpin’ Jack Flash.

At this stage in his career, Leon Russell seems content to play a few of his hits…A Song For You was a highlight…and any old tune that happens to pop into his head. And that’s just fine, as he was raised on a constant stream of gospel, blues and r&b in his native Oklahoma in the 1950s. So it was only right that Leon closed out the night with a couple of classic 50s rockers, Jerry Lee Lewis’ Great Balls Of Fire and Chuck Berry’s Roll Over Beethoven. Then he rose from behind his keyboard, grabbed his cane and disappeared off stage.

Marty Duda

Click here to listen to Leon Russell’s interview on The 13th Floor

Thanks to Michael Flynn for the photo of Leon at the Powerstation

Marty Duda
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