Listening party at the LA Times for "The Union"

First listen: Elton John, Leon Russell and T Bone Burnett unveil 'The Union' in Santa Monica | Pop & Hiss | Los Angeles Times

First listen: Elton John, Leon Russell and T Bone Burnett unveil 'The Union' in Santa Monica
July 22, 2010 | 3:19 pm




Elton John has always been passionate about his musical taste, always ready to throw his support behind new acts that capture his imagination, whether it’s the Scissor Sisters or Lady Gaga.

But in recent years he’s also been on a special mission to turn the spotlight on veteran artists who never got the attention he and other pop stars received, a key reason he dreamed up the Sundance Channel music interview and performance series “Spectacle,” and persuaded his friend Elvis Costello to take on the job as host.

That mission is front and center with “The Union,” his forthcoming duet album with fellow piano-pounding rocker Leon Russell, to whom John doffed his cap during the first episode of “Spectacle.”