Resurrection of the Bayou Maharajah
James Booker
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| Name | Artist | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medley: Slow Down/Bony Maronie/Knock on Wood/I Heard It Through the Grapevine/Classified | James Booker | 9:39 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 2 | Medley: Tico Tico/Papa Was a Rascal | James Booker | 7:37 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 3 | Medley: Lawdy Miss Clawdy/Ballad at the Maple Leaf | James Booker | 7:25 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 4 | Minute Waltz | James Booker | 3:17 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 5 | All by Myself | James Booker | 3:28 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 6 | Save Your Love for Me | James Booker | 5:05 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 7 | Junco Partner | James Booker | 8:33 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 8 | St. James Infirmary | James Booker | 7:04 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 9 | Gitanarias | James Booker | 2:21 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 10 | Medley: Life/Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee/It Should Have Been Me | James Booker | 7:39 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 11 | Pop's Dilemma/Irene Goodnight | James Booker | 9:48 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| Total: 11 Songs |
iTunes Review
New Orleans pianist James Booker was a city legend; he even claimed to have played on some of Little Richard's most important tracks. A mightily gifted musician in the line of Professor Longhair, Booker commanded a knowledge of styles from blues to classical, and he was unafraid to leap between genres within the same tune. Resurrection, drawn from tapes made at club appearances, arrived a decade after his 1983 passing. The set sometimes finds him free-associating through R&B staples, virtually reinventing them with his ornate yet earthy touch. Booker's low profile among the general public (due in part to his early death) belies the respect he got from just about any musician who heard him. It's hardly too late to discover him, though, and this is a great place to start.
Recent Customer Reviews
Definition of a classic, must-have
by PhenobarbarellaI have played this record for everyone from skinheads to lite-FM Jimmy Buffett fans to my opera-conductor brother, and they have all had the same reaction: "Holy crap, who IS this guy?" Except for the ones who already knew him - they just smile and nod. This album was cut live at the now-defunct Maple Leaf in New Orleans; it is a true club record - you can hear people talking in the background, and it's obvious that not much was left on the cutting room floor. But once you hear the music start, you'll know why - leaving any of it behind would be a crime.
I remember a long time ago, watching a documentary on Keith Richards, and one of the people being interviewed said something about him that's stuck with me all these years, though I can no longer remember who said it, or even the name of the documentary. It was: "music LIKES to be around him." I thought that was a good description of Richards at the time, and I think it's even more accurate a description of James Booker. Booker is to the piano what the otherworldly vocal gymnastics of Roy Orbison was to rockabilly vocals. Booker is equal parts Frederick Chopin, Jerry Lee Lewis and Professor Longhair, with the on-the-spot creativity of Mozart and Ornette Coleman thrown in. Since this is a club date, there are plenty of standards (everything from St. James Infirmary to Drinkin Wine (Spo-dee-O-dee) to the Minute Waltz). But I've often thought that one good measure of a recording artist is what songs they choose to cover and even more, whether they can leave their own impression on the song. And, on every one of these, Booker absolutely OWNS the songs. Don't take my word for it, listen....
Great Collection
by cutnshootAnyone that cares about New Orleans music should own this one. Timeless!
Genius Displayed
by AppleofmyeyeThis is the finest collection of live stride piano you are likely to find. The 30-second clips will not do justice to the pieces -- all of which are incomparable. Especially brilliant is the medley of Pop's Dilemma and Goodnight Irene. Throughout the pieces you will swear that two pianos are playing due to the extraordinary play of Booker's left hand. A must have.
Biography
Born: December, 1939 in New Orleans, LA
Genre: Jazz
Years Active: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s
Top Albums and Songs by James Booker
| Name | Album | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Night | New Orleans Piano Wizard: Live! | 5:39 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 2 | Classified | Classified | 3:17 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 3 | Medley: Life/Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee/It Should Have Been Me | Resurrection of the Bayou Maharajah | 7:39 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 4 | Come Rain or Come Shine | New Orleans Piano Wizard: Live! | 3:32 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 5 | On the Sunny Side of the Street | New Orleans Piano Wizard: Live! | 3:42 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
- $9.99
- Genres: R&B/Soul, Music, Blues, Acoustic Blues, Jazz, Delta Blues
- Released: Aug 01, 1993
- ℗ 1993 Rounder
