Leon Russell and the Abominable Snowman appear to have a lot in common. Both are legendary. Then too, there's that physical similarity—Russell's flowing white hair and massive beard find him a dead ringer for that reclusive creature. More important, sightings of each are relatively rare.

Russell's low profile contrasts with a prolific career that flourished throughout the '60s and '70: He worked on arrangements for Phil Spector and provided the instrumental muscle behind the chart-toppers of the day, working with the Stones, Bob Dylan, Joe Cocker, Willie Nelson and George Harrison, and eventually emerged as a reliable chart draw on his own.


Wed., May 11, 8 p.m., 2011