Leon Russell – leading the first grand benefit concert

Leon Russell in A POEM IS A NAKED PERSON
Leon Russell in A POEM IS A NAKED PERSON

I first noticed the musician Leon Russell with his distinctive top hat in the concert movie Mad Dogs and Englishmen. In another (and really, really good) concert film, The Concert for Bangladesh, I wondered, “who is this long-hair, and why is he the bandleader in a band with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr?”.  (The Concert for Bangladesh, organized by George Harrison, broke ground as the first big benefit concert with a collection of mega-stars.)  I soon became a big fan of Leon’s solo career, and I’m saddened by his death this morning.

You can enjoy lots of unfiltered 1972-74 Leon, both on- and off-stage in the documentary A Poem is a Naked PersonA Poem Is a Naked Person has been a bit of a Lost Film –  until recently only shown at screening where Blank was present. Now you can stream it on Amazon Instant, Vudu, YouTube and Google Play. The Concert for Bangladesh is available to rent on DVD from Netflix.