Leon Russell: The Master of Space and Time's Journey Through Rock & Roll History

I am currently reading this most definitive and researched volume, and I will tell you that it is detailed down to the minutae. Yes I would have enjoyed any easy or pleasure read of such a multifaceted musician and singer songwriter but this biography exceeds all expectations! Leon Russell was a legendary force in music that left quite a legacy. My only regret about anything, anything at all, is that I only saw him perform with his crack band once on his last swing through Dallas at the House Of Blues.

If you're interested in Leon and that period of music. This is a good read. Interesting guy with great music.

I am a huge fan of Bill Janowicz, and I wanted to see how he would write a book after enjoying his poetic lyrics. I knew almost nothing of Leon Russell. His story is entwined in the history of rock and roll, and, unfortunately for Leon, his life has all the cliches of the rock and roll lifestyle: substance abuse, mental illness, overindulgence, stubborn pride and bruised egos, but it also spawned some great, rollicking songs and albums. The book is a blizzard of names and their instruments, projects, and dealings. None of it is sugar-coated; you feel the creepiness of the communal lifestyle, the confusion and delirium of the peripatetic recording sessions, and the awe accompanying the innovations right along with the disappointment and disillusionment as hours of effort are cast aside on a whim. The story of Leon Russell is one of constant collaboration and who it involved. The central figure is still poorly understood and left to speculation. It is entertaining and I am glad I read it and now listen to the vast web of songs Leon spun.

This is the most thorough biography I think I've ever read. The author goes to great lengths in describing all the interactions of the musicians involved in every Leon project. It helped me put the pieces together of all the people he played with over the years. Truly an interesting book that I will have to read again just to get all the info straight. I started out loving Leon in 1971 and still do today. Now I think I know him much, much better through the details in this book. Leon was a fascinating character and deserves to be regarded as one of the greatest musicians of the ages. A true genius, in my opinion.

Leon Russell always intrigued me as a musician. Both of my parents were musician's. My father was a session musician back in the 1930-1940 big band era. He played guitar on several recordings and movie sound tracks. He arranged many songs for popular band leaders and worked with songwriter Johnny Mercer. With that said, I guess I identified Leon Russell with my dad. I was in my late teens early 20's when Leon became known. Although I never saw him in concert I bought and listened to every song he recorded. My mother who was a volcalist in a duo with my dad, would buy the sheet music to: This Masquerade, Superstar, Song for you, etc., at our local music store. Dad would then arrange it in my Mom's key. She loved his songwriting. When I came across this book a few weeks ago I couldn't wait to read it! The author did his homework. Its well written and I went back to places in time I had forgotten about. Kinda like a trip down memory (melody) lane. Thank you Bill Janovitz for all your hard work. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this great book.

Leon Russell was a brilliant musician, producer, arranger and songwriter. A handful of his songs are American standards and few, if any, other artists contributed so much to so many other artists' recorded work, live performances and career successes than Russell did in his era (the early stages of the dawn of modern popular music around 1960 through his passing in 2016). He also was short-sighted, venal, held grudges and mightily struggled with his own demons, internal and external alike. This is all brought to you in an epic, eminently readable way by the author, Bill Janovitz. If he was just the ungodly talented piano player that everyone recognized, he deserved a great book. Yet, Janovitz is honest and direct about Leon's foibles and struggles, but never loses sight of how singularly brilliant he was and how he could, at any moment, set any room on fire with his genius. Highly recommended.

Whether you are a fan or not this biography takes you through the most incredible life of a rock and roll legend.

I found the book to be a long read. It took me a little over a month and a half to finish. The author provides a lot of information, names and situations. Sometimes I found it a little confusing and hard to follow. Overall, now that I’ve finished, I think the book is a well detailed account of Leon’s world. He could have easily been a huge star, but chose to do things his way, staying true to what he believed in. Gotta admire the man for that at the very least. I would recommend the read for Leon fans.