I discovered yet another talented musician who had Leon’s magic umami sprinkled onto his songs.

This time it’s Dave Mason, founding member of the rock band, Traffic, who recently passed away on April 19.

As he was forming his own public persona as a solo artist, Leon Russell continued to collaborate with other musicians.

As I re-listen to these Dave Mason songs, I can now detect Leon’s contributions; always distinctive, always the secret ingredient, the umami that enhanced the flavor of every melody and arrangement.

In my opinion, he was meant to be on center stage, never in the background and anonymous.

Special thanks to Leon Russell Superstar in a Masquerade. His YouTube channel is an encyclopedia about the Master of Space and Time.
Featured photo curated from Pinterest.