Life Journey


Life Journey is an album by singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Leon Russell. Produced by Tommy LiPuma, the album was released on April 1, 2014, Leon's 37th album. Elton John was the Executive Producer of the Life Journey album. The album was recorded in 2013 and 2014. In Leon's Life Journey Leon renewed his song writing after his 2010 collaboration album with Elton John, The Union. Leon has two original songs on the album Big Lips and Down in Dixieland. Rock critic Nick DeRiso wrote: "Nothing quite matches Russell interpreting Russell, as heard on Big Lips — which also features Chris Simmons on slide, Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums and Willie Weeks on bass."
AllMusic Reviewer, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, wrote about the album: "This small list suggests how Life Journey touches upon much of the music Russell has sung over the years -- it's heavy on R&B, blues, jazz, and swing, but strangely lacking in much country." AllMusic rated the Life Journey album as one of the Best of 2014.
Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra played on Georgia On My Mind, I Got It Bad & That Ain’t Good, and New York State Of Mind.
Tommy LiPuma was also the producer of George Benson's version of Russell's song This Masquerade. George Benson's version of the song reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won Record of the Year at the 1977 Grammy Awards.
Leon Russell took this ‘Life Journey’ on tour in 2014 and 2015.
Touring with him was multi-instrumentalist Beau Charron, longtime bassist Jackie Wessel and drummer Brandon Holder.
Life Journey is Leon's next to last album, as his death was on November 2016. On a Distant Shore recorded in 2016 and released on September 22, 2017 was Leon's last album.

Track listing