New Old Music Discovery of the Year: Arthur Russell

Arthur Russell died at the age of 40 in 1992. Although he recorded music in the 70s and continued to experiment throughout the 80s in the New York City underground, his achievements remained virtually unknown during his lifetime. Thanks to recent efforts from a record label and a bunch of musicians, his work has been digitally restored and re-released.

Someone sent me 1986’s World of Echo last month. That was enough to alert my usual full-scale Internet researching/downloading blitz. Verdict: I’ve never really seen a musician travel though so many sounds and never look back. Instead of promoting, he just kept going. Classical jazz, dance-pop disco, ambient minimalism… Russell seemed to be eternally fleeting yet immersed in everything he touched.

This documentary trailer sums it up better than I can.


At least 50 similar blogs have probably been written already. So I’ll just encourage you to Google: Arthur Russell. I'll also say the album Calling out of Context is as good a place to start as any.

And just last week, fans were treated to the release of Love is Overtaking Me. And here we see yet another side of Russell, with 21 unheard tracks, this time more straightforward singer/songwriter, less avant-garde dreamer.

Downloads for you:
Arthur Russell | That's Us/Wild Combination

Arthur Russell | Maybe She

Arthur Russell | A Little Lost

Arthur Russell | Being It