First Listen: 'Master Mix: Red Hot + Arthur Russell' — npr.org

The compilation Master Mix: Red Hot + Arthur Russell comes out Oct. 21. Janette Beckman/Courtesy of the artist hide caption The compilation Master Mix: Red Hot + Arthur Russell comes out Oct. 21. Arthur Russell can be a vexing subject for tribute, for all the many reasons he was peculiar and unique. Few other expressive cellists have proven to be especially good with disco, as he was, and the same applies even more the other way around. Add his capacity — from the 1970s until his death in 1992 — for expressive synth-pop, free-flowing folk and even airs of country music, and the makings of a truly inimitable character are born.

Read More