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Arthur Russell

When I first met Arthur, he had hopes of resurrecting the Flying Hearts, a band that had a recording deal with John Hammond Sr. He wanted to do more of the Flying Hearts recordings, and this is the music that drew me to him and initially brought us together. Arthur and his bandmate Ernie Brooks were looking for a female singer to join them in that space, but when we did get into the studio, sometimes it turned out to be one of Arthur’s more dance oriented songs, like ‘Tell you Today’ (Loose Joints) but as it was all incredibly unique and beautiful, it made no difference to me. The way he worked, the way he turned me and everybody else he worked with completely loose to improvise and just…play was a wonderful process to be a part of. There was so much heart/mind connection, and it was pure joy to be around that.  I’d heard nothing before or since like the songs from the Flying Hearts period. I felt like I was over the moon every time I was around Arthur in those days.

Arthur Russell photo with JoLeigh reflected in sound booth window
Arthur Russell photo with JoLeigh reflected in sound booth window