Leon Russell

Leon Russell already had an idiosyncratic career when he lit out for solo territory. He\'d made a name as a mid-\'60s session keyboardist for the likes of Gary Lewis and the Playboys (not to mention as a member of the Shindogs house band on TV\'s *Shindig!*). Then he grew his hair very long, wrote a few modern standards (\"A Song for You,\" \"Hummingbird\"), and devised a hybrid of rock, R&B and singer-songwriter material. After a stint as Joe Cocker\'s bandleader, he issued this self-titled album. His antic approach to genre lines resulted in a style that resonated with many but ultimately proved hard to copy. There are echoes of Elton John and Southern rock here, but Russell undeniably put things together his own way.

Leon Russell never quite hit all the right notes the way he did on his eponymous debut.