Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell

This documentary details the life of little-known musician Arthur Russell, who never achieved widespread notoriety during his life, but who is arguably one of the most prolific musicians of our time. A cellist and song-writer, Russell set out to infiltrate all genres of music, from mainstream pop to esoteric man-and-cello ballads. In an effort to minimize attention to himself and maximize the range of his music, he recorded under several different names throughout his career, leaving him free to record music in all genres without being chained to any one style. Aside from his obvious talent as a cellist and songwriter, Russell worked at a remarkable level of output, writing a song for his long-time partner, Tom, every day, and working on arrangements for years at a time, eventually amassing an overwhelming library of work before he passed away in 1992. First-time feature director Matt Wolf crafts a gripping narrative, and a palpable character out of Russell, maintaining a surprisingly romantic tone. Wild Combination boasts an amazing soundtrack from the artist and cameos from the likes of Allen Ginsburg and Phillip Glass. It is a film that does more than merely document, but creates a world that is easy to get wrapped up in. –CH.

Director: Matt Wolf
Link to the Wild Combination Website