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Posted by on Aug 8, 2014 in Blog, Music and Concert Reviews | 3 comments

Scattershooting, while wondering whatever happened to….

 

leon_russell

 

….great rock and blues legend, brilliant songwriter, and legendary pianist — Leon Russell.

Time for another rambling wreck of random thoughts and occasionally wacky ideas, about whatever comes to mind during this midnight hour on a hot August night here in Las Vegas.

 

Lots of things happening at the moment, both personally and professionally.  Much focus lately has been on the “Poker Night in America” weekly television show, now into its sixth week on the CBS Sports Network.  I was a little embarrassed at being featured on a couple of recent episodes.  I’m certainly not shy about publicity or standing the public spotlight.  Just that the main focus must be on the players, which I think most viewers are eager to see, especially when we do some fun stuff away from the poker table.  As for the series, we’ve wrapped up the first segment of shows filmed last August at Turning Stone Casino in Upstate New York.  Ironically, the “Poker Night in America” production crew is headed back up to the Empire State Poker Classic next week — which will feature several big stars, mostly notably Phil Laak and Jennifer Tilly, Antonio Esfandiari, and Liv Boree, who is flying in from London as our first international guest on the show.  That said, I’m most looking forward to hanging out with Richard Roeper, the noted film critic from Chicago, who is flying in to appear in the game and play the big cash game.

Next up, look for several segments from Maryland Live Casino, the monster-sized attraction located in between Baltimore and Washington.  The crew and I just wrapped up our second visit there last week, which included a few days in the Nation’s Capitol.  The highlight for me was hanging out a lot with Robert Williamson III, his lovely wife Kate, and the other players who attended.  Phil Hellmuth was in top form during the shoot and was as cordial as I’ve ever witnessed.  I’ve had some rocky times with Hellmuth in the past, but he sure delivered on what should be one of the best string of episodes we’ve filmed so far.

Lots of people have asked me why I haven’t written about or commented much on the looming Middle East crisis, and specifically the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  Fair question.  Fact is, it’s a terribly complex issue with no readily apparent solutions.  I’ve written at least two (unpublished) essays on the subject ready to be posted, which I’m taking a bit more seriously than my usual scribbling given the more serious subject matter.  I also believe my views represent a different way of looking at an old problem, which I am eager to share.  I have a massive amount of material to choose from, so I’m also concerned about how much more time I want to spend on this very divisive topic.  Yet, it’s important enough that I must write about it.  Coming up this week, I hope.

That said, I’ll go out on a brief tangent here, given the announcement earlier tonight that the U.S. will use airstrikes in Northern Iraq.  I realize the conflict over there is brutal and just about everyone loses (including us).  But haven’t we learned any lessons yet after causing massive casualties and spending ourselves into utter oblivion?  Even if the airstrikes work, then what?  Will the situation be stable in a year?  Five years?  As Alex Trebek would say on Jeopardy:  The answer is — Get the hell out of the Middle East, America.  Let those people solve their own problems and then have to deal with the consequences.  They won’t be attacking us if we just mind our own Goddamned business.  Why aren’t the terrorists going after Argentina?  Because Argentina doesn’t park its warships in every port and flood just about every regime on the planet with weapons.  We do.  There’s plenty of crisis here at home that demands our attention.  Quit policing the world.  It also might be nice if we had a real democracy here at home, before exporting the false notion of what’s really an oligarchy in this nation.

By the way, how can we say we are the nation of peace when we supply and sell more arms to more nations around the world (many not so democratic) than anyone else and have been doing so for the past 70 years?  How is this a nation that promotes peace, stability, and democracy when America’s death merchants have their tentacles in just about every third world capital?  Face it — lots of people in this nation LOVE WAR and make a shitload of money from global misery.  Case in point — any U.S. company that floods more weapons into Africa right now should be charged with international crimes against humanity.

Just to show I’m not entirely partisan, did you read the news that Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority Leader is coming to Las Vegas for a fundraiser this week?  Wow, just wow!  That should be a real hit.  If I was a candidate, I’m be running and hiding from a hideous and ineffectual leader who is the very face of incompetence.  Given her rabid anti-gambling positions on just about everything, why in the fuck would anyone welcome her here in Las Vegas?

A few shorter snippets before I run off to bed for the night:

— Suits is my favorite television series.  I don’t watch much television, but when I do, I tune into Suits on Wednesday nights.  By the way, Suits is about what goes on inside a high-powered New York law firm.  It’s L.A. Law updated 20 years later, but on the East Coast — and even better written.  Great television.

Marieta and I installed field turf in the backyard earlier today.  Okay, I went and bought it, and Marieta did much of the work.  Check that.  Okay, Marieta basically did all the work.  But she did stop and make me a wonderful mojito during the afternoon.  That enabled me to supervise the work in a more relaxed state of authority.

— Was over at Red Rock Casino today where we observed the new massive shopping and entertainment district which is supposed to open this fall.  Looks like this will be the biggest attraction on the far west side of town and will reshape what’s known as Summerlin.

— the First week of NFL preseason is here.  I still haven’t made a bet this season.  Doubt if my stint on the sidelines will last much longer.  By the way, I’ll be posting my NFL season win totals and futures bets in a few weeks.  These have performed quite well in the last few years.

— Another highlight from this week…..long lunch with Paul Harris, the nationally-syndicated radio personality from St. Louis who was here in Las Vegas on a long weekend.  We dined with Marieta and El Segundo Sol, one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the city,

BARGE ended this past weekend.  Mega-saddens.  This was my 18th BARGE series in a row, the first being taking place back in 1996.  Was great to see so many friends I’ve come to know as a family over the years.  I only played in two of the five official events and basically played like shit — so I deserved being humiliated on what turned out to be two horrible beats.  On the first day, I was dealt pocket queens, and….oh, fuck it.

— Reading three books at present….the magnum opus of political economy called Capital by Thomas Piketty.  Also on the nightstand is Greg Dinkin’s new book about to be released The Leading Man, which is getting raves of positive publicity.  Dutch Boyd’s recently-released narrative is there, also — called Life on Tilt.  I’ve read two chapters.  Interesting confessional.  Reviews to come when I’m done and have the time.

So, getting back to the opening question — whatever did happen to musician Leon Russell?

Well, he’s still touring but has predictably slowed down just a bit.  The musical legend who penned some extraordinary hits over the years — most notably Tightrope, Lady Blue, Stranger in a Strange Land, This Masquerade (made famous by George Benson), A Song for You, and countless years spent before that as a studio musician working with just about anyone famous in music during the 1960s and 1970s (Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Willie Nelson, Freddie King, etc. — he also did the piano on Frank Sinatra’s epic Strangers in the Night) now occasionally plays in small venues, including some here in Las Vegas.  Sadly, Russell chooses to use an electric piano rather than the far more stately and sentimental grand piano.  I assume this is the case because it’s easier to tour with a portable unit, rather than a cumbersome grand, which probably is weight prohibitive.  A few years ago, Russell joined with Elton John and together the two-piano greats tried to create magic, with mixed results.  Here’s an image of Russell touring today at age 72, followed by footage of John inducting Russell into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame three years ago (listen to the part of the speech around the 1-minute mark and take-in all the artists and songs he’s played on over the years — which is ASTOUNDING).

leon-russell-2009

 

Leon Russell at his Hall of Fame induction in 2011 introduced by Elton John — see bio/video on his musical legacy which begins at about the 3:15 mark):

READ:  More of my writings on Leon Russell

3 Comments

  1. sorry 50,000 refuges need someone to give them air support

    yes – selling arms to anyone is fuel on the fire

  2. Thanks Nolan…..tremendous Leon mention.

  3. A fine sowing of a variety of thoughts indeed. Thanks.

    I reckon my favorite tidbit is your sharing: ” It also might be nice if we had a real democracy here at home, before exporting the false notion of what’s really an oligarchy in this nation.”

    It was heart warming and interesting to see you say that.

    Leon Russel is a striking looking character isn’t he? sort of like an “American West Gandalf The White”. Does work his own magic I reckon. We need all the Good magic We can get out chere.

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