the hum / By Bob Doran

Experimenting

Looking for a summer hippie festival in the hills? The 13th annual Trinity Tribal Stomp runs from Friday until Sunday in Junction City out in Trinity County under the guidance of Drew, who I’m told owns the local health food store. The music variety stretches wide starting with some EastHum reggae Friday night by Woven Roots and Seed N Soil and special guest Messenjah Selah (plus a drum circle). Saturday’s on the jammy side with Ivan Neville‘s Dumpstaphunk headlining plus Jemimah Puddleduck with Mark Karan from Ratdog, the jazzy Garaj Mahal, the organic Clan Dyken, Lansdale Station (also playing the Peg House Sunday), and all the way from SoHum, Lost Coast Marimbas. Sunday gets folkier with The Wailin’ Jennys down from Canada, plus Blame Sally, Alice Di Micele and a reunion of Freedom Tribe, a shapeshifting outfit led by the dreadlocked Freedom, who, according to freedomtribe.com, “is an ancient soul, a mystic word master who has been gifted with poetry and songs meant to help heal the nations, awake the sleepers and share the visions of the Native Grandfathers and Grandmothers.” Sounds very tribal, doesn’t it?

Leon Russell is an American music icon, a songwriter with a long list of hits and a legendary keyboardist, both on his own and in countless studio sessions. Boomers know him best from his work in the ’70s — solo albums, Delaney and Bonnie, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Asylum Choir, Concert For Bangladesh, etc. — but he started way earlier.

Born and raised in the Tulsa area, he put together his first band at the age of 14 before moving to L.A. in the early ‘60s. There he worked for Phil Spector developing the “wall of sound” and contributed to countless rock hits from that studio and others including playing keys on “Surf City” by Jan and Dean and on sessions for everything from Bobby “Monster Mash” Pickett and Herb Alpert’s Tijuana Brass to The Byrds and The Stones. He wrote “Delta Lady” for Joe Cocker, the Carpenters’ hit “Superstar” and “A Song for You,” which was covered by Donny Hathaway, Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera among others. He had hits on his own with “Tight Rope” and “This Masquerade,” etc.

What’s he been up to lately? Best Of Hank Wilson, a reprise of his Hank Williams country persona, came out last year on the Leon Russell Records label. He and Sir Elton John just recorded a duet album, The Union, with Bernie Taupin contributing, set for release later this year.

Leon’s website has a link to a section titled “Leon speaks,” where I’d hoped for further insights. All it says there is, “Leon speaks through his music.” And he speaks eloquently. Hear what he has to say this Thursday when he sings a song for you at Humboldt Brews.

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