James Booker

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Biography

Troubled genius James Carroll Booker III first became known as a New Orleans soul R&B organist and later established a reputation as one of the most exciting, mercurial players in a long line of legendary piano professors. Booker and Professor Longhair are the soul of New Orleans expressing through their pianos the joy and pain of life in one of America’s greatest but poorest cities. In the post-Second World War era, the city’s working class poor, mixed Irish descent dockworkers from New York and Creoles worked side by side on the docks of the then second-largest port in the U.S. Booker seemed to reach long back in the lexicon of piano men but added delicate subtle and fanciful artistry of his own to create a body of creative work which is still being explored by younger musicians.

At the end of October, 1983, film-maker Jim Gabour captured Booker’s final concert performance. The footage from the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans was broadcast on Cox Cable and a six-and-a-half-minute improvisation, “Seagram’s Jam,” featured on Gabour’s film - All Alone with the Blues.

Booker died ten days later, on November 8, 1983, while seated in a wheelchair, waiting to be seen at the emergency room at New Orleans Charity Hospital. The cause of death was renal failure. (Orleans Parish Coroner’s Death Certificate). His death was mourned by music lovers, but was unsurprising to those who were aware of his life-long history of serious drug abuse and chronic alcoholism.

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  • tondeman

    It's about the 700th time I've played "A Taste of Honey" this year and my jaw still drops. Such incredible depth, elegance and beauty. A true, one of a kind, genius.

    21 Apr 2012 Reply
  • mouritsdebeer

    Wow, what a remarkable musician. Amazing.

    17 Jan 2012 Reply
  • joaofabiao

    from Portugal...Great musician!! thank you New Orleans!

    16 Jan 2012 Reply
  • branchong

    over a 100,000 plays. Finally :D

    31 Mar 2011 Reply
  • KathleenZB

    RIP, sweet James.

    6 Jan 2011 Reply
  • branchong

    ONE MILLION PLAYS FOR BOOKER!

    27 Dec 2010 Reply
  • Baaator

    A Taste of Honey is giving me goose bumps right now.

    23 Sep 2010 Reply
  • branchong

    BLACK NIGHT

    20 Sep 2010 Reply
  • tondeman

    how the flipping shit is he not recognized as one of the biggest musical geniuses ever. im quite sure, convinced actually, that theres maybe 2 or even 3 different musical things going on at the same time for a lot of the time!

    21 Aug 2010 Reply
  • branchong

    first foudn out about james by discovering Piano Wizard stufft away in a used record area of Amoeba in hollywood. Now he is one of my favorite musicians :D

    7 Aug 2010 Reply
  • darrenstallard

    81,148 plays. I wish I alone had listened to his performance of Junco Partder that many times. Such a shame no-one listens to him.

    22 Jul 2010 Reply
  • bonekhan

    Absolutely wonderful musician

    11 Jun 2010 Reply
  • ManiacForces

    Magical

    22 Mar 2010 Reply
  • LiamGallagher

    we all gotta watch out for the CIA

    10 Jan 2010 Reply
  • yarrrgh

    great, great, great!

    31 Aug 2009 Reply
  • Lee320

    He is great! Can't stop listen :-)

    19 Jul 2009 Reply
  • LiamGallagher

    not even 50.000 plays, that's downright criminal

    16 Jul 2009 Reply
  • larrybob

    The Manchester CD is so-so. Band tracks at the end are lame. But there are a few unique songs on the CD.

    30 Nov 2007 Reply
  • turntostone2

    Larrybob, How is that Manchester disc? I saw it advertised but haven't picked it up yet.

    27 Nov 2007 Reply
  • larrybob

    looks like I am the first to scrobble the recently released Live in Manchester '77 CD.

    14 Nov 2007 Reply
  • All 25 shouts

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