Elton John & Leon Russell

The newest of the of the songs we’ll be playing on New Noise at Nine tonight are by [lastfm]Michal Franti[/lastfm] and Spearhead and a collaboration between [lastfm]Elton John[/lastfm] and [lastfm]Leon Russell[/lastfm]. (Leon is in town tonight, playing a sold-out show at S.P.A.C.E. in Evanston)

[photogallerylink id=3484 align=left] [lastfm]Michael Franti[/lastfm] and Spearhead’s new album was originally set to be released on August 24, but has currently been pushed back to September 21.  Michael and the band will be returning to Chicago on October 8 to play the Riviera.

“If It Wasn’t for Bad” is the song we’re playing from a new collaboration between two piano players, superstar [lastfm]Elton John[/lastfm] and one time in demand studio musician and sideman and seventies hit maker [lastfm]Leon Russell[/lastfm].  Elton has said, “All I wanted for Leon is to have, in his later life, the accolades that seem to have been missing for him in the last 35 years, I want his name written in stone. I want him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I want his name to be on everybody’s lips again, like it used to be. So we made this record.”  When he says “we made the record,” he means Leon, himself and the busiest producer in the world, [lastfm]T-Bone Burnett[/lastfm].  The album is due for release in October.  The only concert appearances currently announced by Elton and Leon together are in NYC and LA.

Also, be listening for new [lastfm]Of Montreal[/lastfm], [lastfm]Eric Clapton[/lastfm],[lastfm]Arcade Fire[/lastfm], [lastfm]John Butler Trio[/lastfm], [lastfm]Richard Thompson[/lastfm] and more.