In an unexpected pairing, Elton John and Leon Russell are recording an album together in Los Angeles with producer T-Bone Burnett. Both artists have written songs for the project, which has no title or release date as of yet.

Billboard.com has learned that Neil Young, Booker T. Jones, Marc Ribot and Jim Keltner are among the guests who have contributed to the album.

According to a post on the Web site of longtime Elton collaborator Bernie Taupin, 15 songs have already been put to tape, "from Stones-like rockers, country-tinged ballads, gospel and even a Sinatra-like weepy similar to something torn from the grooves of 'In the Wee Small Hours.'"

As T-Pain wraps up work on a new Nappy Boy All Stars mix tape and his latest album, "RevolveR," fans can anticipate the release of an entirely different kind of project from the Auto-tuned rapper/producer. "Freaknik: The Musical" is an hour long cartoon special that will air Sunday (Mar. 7) on Adult Swim, Cartoon Network's late night block that features programming geared towards the network's more mature audience.

The show will center on the revival of a wild and frequently riotous music festival that took place in Atlanta, Georgia from the early 1980s to the late 1990s. Most interestingly, the show's creator and co-producer says the special cashes in on some serious favors to include an all-star voiceover cast featuring Rick Ross, Young Cash, Snoop Dogg, Sophia Fresh, Lil Wayne and Charlie Murphy, among a long list of others. As if the premise couldn't get any more bizarre, the show will also star T-Pain in a laughably Dickensian role as the Ghost of Freaknik past.

"The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett from the movie "Crazy Heart" was named best original song and Michael Giacchino won for best original score for "Up" at the 82nd annual Academy Awards Sunday night. Overall, "The Hurt Locker" won the most awards on the night with six, including best picture.

It was the first win for both Bingham and Burnett; Burnett previously was nominated alongside Elvis Costello for "Scarlet Tide" from "Cold Mountain" in 2004. Bingham thanked his wife during his speech, saying he loved her "more than rainbows."

Earlier this year the duo won the Golden Globe for the same song.



10 Awesome Oscar Live Performances



The best original song nominees were presented via film clip Sunday night, instead of the traditional live performances. For the first time since 1943, ten films were nominated for best picture, and the presentation of the clips for all the films in contention apparently created a time crunch during the show.

Music did have some presence in the show: Neil Patrick Harris opened the show with a song-and-dance number to introduce hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin; James Taylor played "In My Life" in accompaniment to the "In Memoriam" montage. The nominees for best score were presented in a sequence of interpretive dance routines.

It was the first win for Giacchino, who was nominated in 2008 for "Ratatouille"; he also won the Golden Globe this year for best original score. "If you want to be creative, get out there and do it - it's not a waste of time," Giacchino said in his acceptance speech, mentioning that he had the support of his family and teachers growing up.

In addition, "Music by Prudence," by director Roger Ross Williams and features Zimbabwean musician Prudence Mabhena and her band Liyana won best documentary short.

The Academy Awards aired on ABC live from the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles; a retransmission squabble between Cablevision and ABC was resolved in the middle of the show.