NEW
ORLEANS, La. — The Bayou Maharajah. The Piano Pope. The Ivory Emperor. The
Bronze Liberace. Music Magnifico. Gonzo. The Piano Prince of New
Orleans. James Booker coined more than a few extravagant
nicknames for himself, and he lived up to every one of them.
James Carroll
Booker III was also an unheralded genius of American music, a New Orleans
pianist whose dizzying technique and mastery of the keyboard was matched only by
his imagination and his soulfulness. His short and often flamboyant life was
also marked by struggle and lost opportunity.
Classified, recorded in
October, 1982, was one of only two studio albums released during his lifetime,
and this remixed and expanded edition offers a poignant and often surprising
look at his music, for if James Booker is often cited in the piano lineage that
passes from Jelly Roll Morton to Professor Longhair to his own student, Harry
Connick Jr., New Orleans tradition was only his jumping-off point.
On
October 15, 2013, Rounder Records will release
James Booker’s Classified: Remixed and Expanded. The
expanded volume’s 22 tracks, which include nine never-before-released
performances, range from the pure rhythm and blues of “All Around the World,” to
the light classical “Madame X,” to his astonishing version of the jazz standard
“Angel Eyes.” Among the unreleased songs is the slow blues instrumental, “I’m
Not Sayin’,” and his syncopated reading of Nino Rota’s “Theme From the
Godfather.” Whether playing solo or accompanied by saxophonist Alvin “Red”
Tyler, bassist James Singleton and drummer Johnny Vidacovich, Booker ties
together a giddy array of musical influences with virtuosity and an often quirky
sense of humor. If New Orleans was the only place that could have produced such
a talent and such a character as James Booker, the scope of his musical vision
was boundless, and he stands alone in the New Orleans piano
pantheon.
All
Music Guide cites the original edition of Classified as arguably Booker’s
best album (even if that mythical collection may still reside in the live
recordings his passionate fans have traded over the years). Three decades later,
with the new material and dramatically improved sonics, it stands as a lynchpin
in his discography.
Included
are new notes by co-producer Scott Billington and several new photographs.
Classified will be released both on CD and as a limited edition double-LP
vinyl set. Lily Keber’s film, Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James
Booker, has been playing to rave reviews, and that interest in James Booker
is expanding beyond his devoted cult following.
According to
Grammy Award-winning pianist George Winston, “James Booker
and Professor Longhair and Dr. John are the three biggest influences and
inspirations for the New Orleans piano renaissance that is happening more and
more, and James’s music is even more influential now than when he was alive. He
is my biggest overall piano influence and has been since I first heard his
recordings in 1982. It’s so great to have everything here from his final studio
sessions.”
Track Listing:
1. Classified
2. If You're
Lonely
3. Warsaw
Concerto* 2:47
4. Lawdy
Miss Clawdy (solo piano alternate take)*
5. Medley:
Tico Tico / Papa Was a Rascal / So Swell When You're Well*
6. All
Around the World
7. Angel
Eyes
8. Lonely
Avenue*
9. Professor
Longhair Medley: Tipitina / Bald Head
10. King of
the Road
11. Theme
from The Godfather*
12. Lawdy
Miss Clawdy
13. I'm Not
Sayin'*
14. Hound Dog
15. All These
Things*
16. Yes Sir,
That's My Baby*
17. Baby Face
18. If You're
Lonely (solo piano alternate take)*
19. Madame X
20. One For
the Highway
21. Three
Keys
22. Amen
*previously
unreleased
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