Hand picked records important to the history of Soul Strut.
Arthur Russell was the true embodiment of an artist. An eccentric from the cornfields of Iowa, he took his talents to NYC in the late 1970s immersing himself in the thriving avantgarde scene as a classically trained cellist. Nights at the legendary Loft night club in the early 80s inspired him to start producing mass market disco records while staying true to his hip experimental nature and love for world music (Dinosaur L’s “Go Bang”.) He later formed Sleeping Bag records which rode the crest of the new wave of 80s dance music and hip hop.
His only solo full length album was 1986’s cult classic World of Echo which was a left field experimental record of electronics, cellos, and bizarre atmospheric vocals. Unfortunately, he died of AIDS in 1992.
By the early 00s, Arthur Russell was rediscovered and celebrated with a series of unreleased material packaged for public consumption and a documentary, 2008’s Wild Combination.
This 2004 Soul Jazz compilation runs the complete gamut of Russell’s unsung career from faceless groove guru to eccentric expressionist.
ARTHUR RUSSELL DOCUMENTARY - IS THIS NEEDED?
ARTHUR BAKER VS. ARTHUER RUSSELL