Clark Terry (with Thelonious Monk) - 'In Orbit'

Clark Terry’s legendary jazz career spanned over seven decades, during which he played on an unbelievable nine-hundred-plus recordings.  His discography reads like a who’s who In Jazz.  It features legendary artists such as Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Dizzy Gillespie, Dinah Washington, Ben Webster, Aretha Franklin, Charlie Barnet, Doc Severinsen, Ray Charles, Billy Strayhorn, Dexter Gordon, Thelonious Monk, Billie Holiday, Gerry Mulligan, Sarah Vaughan, Coleman Hawkins, Milt Jackson, and Bob Brookmeyer. The list goes on and on.

Clark Terry first appeared on Monk's radar somewhere back in 1956.  In December of that year, Monk, after a falling out with the alto player Ernie Henry, hired Terry to replace Henry on the version of "Bemsha Swing" found on the masterwork 'Brilliant Corners'.  From there, Monk and Terry occasionally worked together, but this was the one full record that they made.

'In Orbit' is an impressive and frequently overlooked album, it marks Terry's debut on flugelhorn and is Monk's only sideman credit for Riverside (the label that propelled him to jazz stardom).

Monk fans will want this for the rediscovery of the track "Let's Cool One", the sole Monk composition on the album.  This fact alone distinguishes this, as after the early fifties, Monk usually only appeared on the side if recording his compositions.  That says something about his respect for Terry, and he gifts this record with a great, up to that point somewhat lost song, one that quickly became a standard in his live sets.

Clark Terry fans will note the presence of the title track, which jump starts the album in fine fashion, as well as the curious, foreboding closer "Very Near Blue" and intricate "Moonlight Fiesta".  My favorite is the second track, "One Foot in the Gutter", which features some unusual changes, especially in the bridge near the end.  Throughout, the interesting sound of the flugelhorn proves the right horn sound for Monk, who rarely played with trumpets.  The deeper tone matches well with his unique comping, and shows that, had Monk liked the flugelhorn quartet as much as the tenor sax one, he could have started something new here.  Ultimately, that's not the direction he went in, and this becomes a fascinating side road on a long journey, one that is well worth exploring.

'In Orbit' was Recorded in New York; May 7 and 12, 1958
Clark Terry – Flugelhorn
Thelonious Monk – Piano
Sam Jones – Bass
Philly Joe Jones – Drums

Yesterday, I watched the Peter O'Toole film,  'My Favorite Year'.  For the freeload, what was your favorite year?

Danny and the Fat Boys - 'American Music'

 

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get"
— Mrs. Gump

The same could be said of guitarist Danny Gatton's music. 

Danny was such a "genre-jumper" that he never found a commercial niche.  Record labels didn't know how to market him, and he didn't fit into most radio stations formats.

Danny was a player's player, he wasn't just fluent and fluid in various forms of rock, country, rockabilly, jazz, and blues, he was a master of all of them.  He was playing so called "Roots Music" years before the phrase was coined, and became hip to explore.  Danny called his music (with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek), "Redneck Jazz".

Lowell George extended an invitation to Danny to join his band after leaving Little Feat, but Lowell dies two days later. 

A tortured soul, who suffered bouts of depression, Danny Gatton committed suicide on October 4, 1994, exactly a month after his 49^th birthday.  His passing went largely unacknowledged in the music press, although many fellow guitarists and musicians from across the musical spectrum lamented his death.

'American Music' was originally in 1975, this was the first album to document the genius of Danny Gatton.  Stylistically, it's all over the place, veering from rockabilly to jazz to blues to good old-fashioned rock and roll, and even reggae.  The one constant on this album is Danny's formidable guitar skills.

The Fat Boys are, Billy Hancock on bass and vocals and Dave Elliot on drums.  It goes without saying that if you were going to play with Danny, you better be damn good yourself, and the Fat Boys were more than up to the challenge.  Also featured is Dick Heintze, who was a mind-blowing and superb piano player, with unbelievable speed and chops that are Danny's perfect foil.

For the freeload, what was the last album you actually bought?

Bukka White - 'Parchman Farm'

Last week, I met Denise "The Grease" for lunch over in Chinatown.  After lunch, we visited a few produce markets on Canal Street.  Also on Canal Street are street peddlers, who sell counterfeit goods.  Nike sneakers, Rolex watches, Louis Vuitton bags, Gucci bucket hats etc. are all for sale.  In-between Nike and Rolex "showrooms", was a guy selling vinyl.  On his table were old milk crates, filled with records.  Thumbing through the records, I came across not one but two sealed copies of Bukka White's 'Parchman Farm', which were original pressings from 1970.  [Score! — Ed.]

My initial Instinct was to buy the two marked a $10 each, and haggle down to $16 or $17.  The vendor was an older guy, who was pleasant enough, and seem like a nice guy, so instead, I took one, giving him his asking price.  After our transaction, I told him that a sealed original pressing Bukka White's 'Parchman Farm' could go for around $100, or more to the right collector.  With that, the vendor's entire demeanor changed, he became loud, aggressive and demanded the album back.  At the same time, "The Grease" put her hand inside her shoulder bag, acted like she was looking for something, and said to the vendor, "Who you talkin' to like that, huh?".  I told the vendor, "I could have taken both off your hands, and you'd be none the wiser, right?".  The vendor reluctantly shook his head in agreement.  As we walked away, "The Grease" chuckled and said, "That mook doesn't know how lucky he was."  "Mook" is Italian-American slang (not actual Italian), for a fool, imbecile, or idiot (you get the idea).

As an aside, a few weeks ago, "The Grease" was at my place.  We opened some wine, and she said she had some "killer weed" in her shoulder bag.  While trying to find her weed, she took some things out of her bag and placed them on the table.  Among the items were a can of Mace brand pepper spray, a gravity knife and a .25 Colt Automatic, with cute little mother-of-pearl pistol grips.  I asked her, "Are you planing a bank robbery or something later?" to which she replied "You know the deal".  The "deal" is that "The Grease" grew up the daughter of a Brooklyn Cosa Nostra Caporegime.  In a future post, I'll tell you about "The Grease's" older brother, Vincenzo, a.k.a. Vinny "The One".

Bukka White

Booker T. Washington White, a.k.a. Bukka White was born in the Mississippi hill country in 1906, and was the cousin of B.B. King.

At a young age, Bukka learned fiddle from his father, who latter bought him his first guitar.  One story has it that his grandmother prohibited "the Devil’s Music" from the house, so at the age of fourteen, Bukka moved in with an uncle in Clarksdale, the heart of the Delta.

In his late teens into his twenties, Bukka spent several years wandering the South playing guitar and picking up casual work until 1930 when he was spotted by a scout from the Victor label who arranged some recording sessions in Memphis.   Bukka put down 14 tracks of Blues and Gospel material, but only four were ever issued, as The Great Depression hit record sales hard.  Unable to make a living from music, Bukka played professional baseball in the Negro League and later tried to make it as a pro boxer.

Somehow, word of Bukka’s music got around, and in 1937 he was invited by Big Bill Broonzy to record for legendary producer Lester Melrose in Chicago.   Unfortunately for Bukka he was out on bail for a shooting offense, so he was hauled back to Mississippi to serve three years in Parchman Farm having recorded only two tracks.

Musicologists John and Alan Lomax went to Parchman in 1939, where they recorded a couple of Bukka’s songs.  When he was released in 1940, and Bukka headed to Chicago with a dozen songs ready for Lester.  These sessions, released on Vocalion and Okeh labels.  Backed only by Washboard Sam, the recordings proved to be Bukka’s finest work and the backbone of his repertoire.

Bukka White’s 1940 session for producer Lester Melrose in Chicago is regarded as one of the pinnacles of blues recording history.  The 12 tracks from that two-day session, along with the aforementioned two songs from a 1937 session (including the influential ‘Shake ‘Em on Down’), were all originally released as 78rpm singles on OKeh, Vocalion, or other labels, and in 1970 on this remarkable album.

I bought the original pressing in 1970, wore it out and years later I replaced it with Sony Legacy issued CD, that due to over usage of noise reduction sounds dull and dead.

The freeload is a 24 bit/96 kHz vinyl rip of the album bought last week in Chinatown.

For the freeload, tell us what albums you've been listening to over the last few days

Charles Lloyd - 'Of Course, Of Course'

 

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 15, 1938, Charles, from an early age, was immersed in that city’s rich musical life and was exposed to jazz.

In 1956, Charles moved to Los Angeles and graduated from the University of Southern California.  During this period, Charles played in Gerald Wilson’s big band and formed his own group that included Billy Higgins, Don Cherry, Bobby Hutcherson, Scott LaFaro and Terry Trotter.  

Charles joined the last cello edition of the Chico Hamilton quintet in 1960, playing alto saxophone and flute.  Charles's musical identity and gift for melody quickly emerged.  His originals were fresh, distinctive, appealing and pushed the envelope.



In 1962, Chico overhauled his group, bringing in Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo.   Charles and Gabor developed an uncanny empathy and instantly identifiable sound. That group made four stunning albums over the next two years, full of outstanding Lloyd originals. 

Released in November 1965, on the Columbia label, 'Of Course, Of Course' was recorded in May 1964 and March 1965, after Charles had left the Hamilton fold, so these sessions were a welcome reunion for Gabor Szabo and him.  The recording group was completed by another highly empathetic team, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. Bringing two of the most creative pairings in jazz together makes for one hell of a quartet.

When 'Of Course, Of Course' was originally released, the quartet was best described by Charles:

"I'm always striving for that moment when the music is really happening; by this I mean complete involvement by everybody. When I surround myself with Gabor, Tony and Ron, those moments come more easily because we all draw so well from each other. It happens in the playing. We don't talk much about our roles in the ensemble - we speak best through our instruments, which are like extensions of ourselves."



In 2007, Mosaic Records, who made its name releasing comprehensive multi-disc box sets of jazz musicians, released 'Of Course, Of Course' as a single CD on their short-lived, Mosaic Singles series.  The idea behind the series was to release historically valuable LPs that don't fit into a box-set concept.  For this CD, the album was newly remixed from the original four-track tapes and includes three bonus tracks approved by Charles Lloyd.  "East Of The Sun" is an extra tune from the album sessions.  "Island Blues" and "Sun Dance" come from a later session with Szabo, Albert Stinson and Pete LaRoca, with Robbie Robertson of The Band added on guitar on the last tune.  This was the first CD release of one of the most neglected masterpieces in an era of masterpieces, and now is again out of print.

Tracklist:

01 "Of Course, Of Course"
02 "The Song My Lady Sings"
03 "The Best Thing for You"
04 "The Things We Did Last Summer"
05 "Apex"
06 "One for Joan"
07 "Goin' to Memphis"
08 "Voice in the Night"
09 "Third Floor Richard"
10 "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)"
11 "Island Blues"
12 "Sun Dance"

Charles Lloyd – tenor saxophone and flute

Gábor Szabó – guitar

Ron Carter – bass (tracks 1-3, 5-10)

Tony Williams – drums (tracks 1-3, 5-10)

Albert Stinson – bass (tracks 11-12)

Pete LaRoca – drums (tracks 11-12)

Robbie Robertson – second guitar (track 12)



For the freeload, tell us about albums you really like, that were panned by critics and by fans of the group/artist alike.

King Crimson - 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' (Expanded & Remastered in Hi-Rez)

'In the Court of the Crimson King' is the debut studio album by King Crimson, and was released in October 1969 by Island Records.  The album, one of the earliest and most influential works of Prog Rock, it blends the musical foundations of rock music with elements of jazz, classical, and symphonic music.

'In the Court of the Crimson King' was reissued several times in the 1980s and 1990s through Polydor and E.G. Records, with pressings made from copies that were several generations removed from the master tape.  This resulted in sub-par audio quality and audible tape hiss.  Today's freeload is a sweet sounding 24 bit/96 kHz version.

01. 21st Century Schizoid Man

02. I Talk To The Wind

03. Epitaph

04. Moonchild

05. The Court Of The Crimson King

06. 21st Century Schizoid Man (radio version) (Bonus Track)

07. I Talk To The Wind (duo version) (Bonus Track)

08. A Man A City (live at the Fillmore West) (Bonus Track)

Greg Lake – lead vocals and bass guitar.
Robert Fripp – electric and acoustic guitars.
Ian McDonald – saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, Mellotron, harpsichord, piano, organ and vibraphone.
Michael Giles – drums.

For the freeload, what's your favorite Prog Rock album?

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection'

To be completely honest, I'm not the biggest Stevie Ray Vaughan fan.  I mean, he's not very original with his Albert King/Jimi Hendrix all rolled up into one shtick.  Stevie seems to play (in varying tempos) the same jittery cocaine frosted guitar solo on every song (B.B. King is guilty of this too).  I'm also not crazy about his "signature sound"; a Fender Stratocaster, Tube Screamer pedal, and a wah-wah into a Fender Super Reverb. 

People tell me, "But Babs, he's a guitar virtuoso.", to which I reply, "If you listen to the Blues for virtuosity, you're entirely missing the point of the genre."  In many ways, he's a predictable one-trick pony.  Oh, and he dressed like Liza Minnelli was lending him, her clothes. 

And yet I like him anyway, he had a genuine love of The Blues, and Stevie played from his heart, and that really is the bottom line right there.  Truth is, I prefer Stevie Ray Vaughan in small doses.

But, by now you should know, I do very little in small doses, so here's:

CD 1 In The Beginning

CDs 2 & 3 Live At Montreux 1982

CD 4 Texas Flood

CD 5 A Legend In The Making—Live At The El Mocambo

CD 6 Couldn’t Stand The Weather

CD 7 Live At Carnegie Hall

CD 8 Soul To Soul

CD 9 Live Alive

CD 10 In Step

CDs 11 & 12 Archives

For the freeload, tell us about groups/artists, that despite their flaws, you like anyway.

Ornette Coleman - 'The Complete Science Fiction Sessions'

 

"The only credentials you need are human form and planetary citizenship. And that’s all you need to get into this music. It emphasizes the feelings we all share as human beings; each musician plays his own biological rhythms, the dimly-remembered experiences of his past lives, and what he had for breakfast." — Ornette Coleman

One of the most iconic scenes in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy is the one set in the Mos Eisley cantina.  Although it’s a relatively short sequence, the cantina scene holds immense significance in the Star Wars series for showcasing the vastness and (somewhat) diversity of the galaxy.  It’s the small details in the scene, such as the bartender’s refusal to allow droids inside the cantina, that hint at the existence of a broader universe beyond the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire.

The scene is almost perfect, except for one glaring flaw: The Music.


I've read that George Lucas asked middlebrow extraordinaire: John Williams to imagine several creatures in a future century finding some 1930s Benny Goodman swing band music in a time capsule or under a rock someplace, and how they might attempt to interpret it?

What John Williams came up with, has to me, always sounded like all of Duke Ellington's mid-1920s sides for the Vocalion label, blended in to one.  Don't get me wrong here, I absolutely adore everything Duke did.  It's just that, to my ears and eyes, it doesn't fit the scene.

Music that would fit the scene perfectly, is any track from Ornette Coleman's, 'The Complete Science Fiction Sessions'.  Also picture if you will instead of the above pictured cantina musicians (who look like strung out clones of the Pillsbury Doughboy after years of doing "speedballs"), we were treated to Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins (and maybe Asha Puthli) performing a song from 'Science Fiction' in the cantina.  Now wouldn't that be a hip scene?

This of course is just one woman's opinion, your mileage may vary, blah, blah blah...yada yada yada, and all that jazz.

Be that as it may…

'The Complete Science Fiction Sessions' is a collection of Coleman’s 1971 release 'Science Fiction and his 1982 'Broken Shadows'.  While 'Broken Shadows' was released in 1982, it was comprised wholly from material from the 'Science Fiction' sessions.  So really, this 2000 'Complete Science Fiction Sessions' is just that: complete.

Ornette assembled mostly alumni for his September 1971 sessions.  The sizes of the ensembles range from septet to quartet to up to 11 players. His classic early bands are reunited here with trumpeter Don Cherry, saxophonist Dewey Redman, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummers Ed Blackwell and Billy Higgins.  Augmenting these musicians in places are pianist Cedar Walton, guitarist Jim Hall, trumpeter Bobby Bradford, vocalist Asha Puthi, and Science Fiction narrator, poet David Henderson.  The voices become part of the mix, bringing language into the music, complicating the abstract nature of music and the "madness" of Ornette’s compositions.

The inclusion of alternate takes provides us with a cleaner view of the kind of harmonic theory Ornette was working against when he created harmolodics. Ornette describes harmolodics as:

"The use of the physical and the mentality of one's own logic made into an expression of sound to bring about the musical sensation of unison executed by a single person or with a group".

This music is deep and as far as the subgenre of Free Jazz goes, this album is very accessible.

For the freeload, what are some of your favorite science fiction books?

'Cuz Babs Sez, That's Why' Is One Year Old Today!

 

Didn't that go quick?

To be honest, I didn't think that I'd still be doing this a year latter. 

I'd like to thank all of you for making this such a happy and friendly place!

So tell us, over the past year, what were some of your favorite freeloads? 

Did you get introduced to music, you that was new to you?

I'd love to hear about it!

Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective

Even if Duane Allman (known to bandmates and close friends, as "Skydog", hence the title) had never formed the Allman Brothers Band, he would have become a significant figure in American popular music, any way. 

Well before his name gained mainstream recognition, he had already established his reputation as a rare and exceptional studio guitarist, leaving an indelible mark on a diverse range of recordings.

'Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective' is a 7CD box set.  It contains Duane's best-known and most commercially successful recordings with the Allman Brothers Band, plus Derek & the Dominos, as well as session work with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Boz Scaggs, Clarence Carter, King Curtis, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Ronnie Hawkins, Otis Rush, Laura Nyro, Lulu, the Sweet Inspirations, Laura Lee, Spencer Wiggins, Arthur Conley, Willie Walker, the Lovelles, the Soul Survivors, Johnny Jenkins, John Hammond, Doris Duke, Eric Quincy Tate, Herbie Mann and many more.

The set was produced by two-time Grammy winning producer Bill Levenson, and Galadrielle Allman (Duane’s daughter).  Scott Schinder contributed comprehensive historical liner notes, complemented by additional notes by Galadrielle Allman, who in her recollection of her father, who died when she was a young child, writes in the liner notes:

"I am very lucky that my father is Duane Allman, an artist who left behind a wealth of incredible music . . . Working on this retrospective, I have gotten closer than I ever have been to understanding my father’s development as a musician and a man."

This set also has a very cool live jam session with the Grateful Dead, and a collector's assortment of rare singles and long out-of-print album tracks.

Also included in the freeload is the 72-page book with the aforementioned essays by Scott Schindler and Galadrielle Allman, many rare photographs, a replica of Duane's guitar pick, and a Skydog sticker.  In a future Duane/Allman Brothers post, I'll write some code, so those of you with a 3D printer can have Duane's pick.  Currently, I'm too swamped mentoring PhD candidates with their dissertations.

For the freeload, tell us what are your favorite Allman Brothers albums with Duane, and without Duane, and why?

---

Artie Shaw - 'Self Portrait'

Artie Shaw, a multifaceted jazz musician, composer, bandleader, and writer, made significant contributions to the Swing Era.  His big band gained immense popularity with hits like "Begin the Beguine", "Lady Be Good" and "Frenesi".  Artie was a trailblazer in the big band genre, experimenting with unconventional instrumentation.  He also, and notably, hired Billie Holiday as his band’s vocalist, becoming the first white bandleader to employ a full-time black female singer.  During his peak popularity, Artie reportedly earned a substantial $30,000 per week, a remarkable feat during the Great Depression.

During World War II, Artie enlisted in the U.S. Navy, along with his entire band, and served in the Pacific Theater, similar to Glenn Miller’s wartime band in Europe.  Artie dedicated approximately 18 months to playing for navy personnel, often performing multiple shows daily.

Throughout his musical career, Artie took sabbaticals, temporarily leaving the music industry.  He credited his time in the navy for a period of profound introspection, leading him to pursue psychoanalysis and explore a writing career.

In 1954, Artie made a decision to cease playing the clarinet, citing his own perfectionism, which he later acknowledged as a self-destructive force.  A self-proclaimed "very difficult man", Artie was married eight times; it became a national joke to have been "Married as many times as Artie Shaw".  Among his wives were Jane Cairns, Margaret Allen, Betty Kern (daughter of songwriter Jerome Kern), author Kathleen Winsor, and actresses Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Doris Dowling and Evelyn Keyes.

Artie faced scrutiny before the House Un-American Activities Committee, in 1953 due to his liberal political views.  The committee was investigating the World Peace Congress, which it perceived as a front for Communism.

In 2004, he was bestowed with a well-deserved lifetime achievement Grammy Award.  Artie Shaw passed away peacefully at the age of 94, leaving behind a legacy as one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.

The first time I can remember hearing Artie Shaw was my father playing Artie’s 78’s in the late 1950s.  At the time, I was more interest in my older brother’s rock and roll record collection, than I was to my parent's music.

Ten years or so later, I was listening to Ed Beach’s ‘Just Jazz’ radio show on jazz station WRVR, here in Manhattan.  Ed’s show that night was about Third Stream Jazz, at one point he spoke of the roots of Third Stream, and played Artie Shaw’s "Interlude in B-flat", and I was blown away.



A few words about Ed Beach:
 Ed’s knowledge of Jazz was nothing short of encyclopedic.  His show, ‘Just Jazz’ was a five-hour show that ran on Saturdays from 7 o'clock to midnight, without commercial interruption.  After every record he played he gave the date of its issue, the label and the participating artists.  There were also running gags and inside jokes for regular listeners.  Most things I know that are worth knowing about the history of Jazz, I learnt from Ed Beach.

But I digress…

Johnny Depp while playing John Dillinger in the film, 'Public Enemies', played Artie's drama-filled 1938 recording of "Nightmare", in order to get in character.  As Johnny tells it:                                    

"Because when you listen to that song, it can be applied to almost every scene. Music always helps me. It's in every conversation we have every day. There's always some sort of soundtrack going on, whether it's the beeping of horns outs or the shuffling of papers, so yeah, I try and keep music going at all times."

Conceived and issued in 2001 with Shaw's full involvement and collaboration, 'Self-Portrait' brings together performances by every one of his recorded bands, and provides us with a thorough overview of his musical career.  This 5 CD set has 95 selections personally chosen and assembled by Artie Shaw, which he describes in the liner notes as:

"A summing-up, a retrospective of what I consider my best work regardless of label, an overview of my entire career as a clarinetist-bandleader." 

The set has a very nice 79-page book (included in the freeload) with discography, rare photos, and liner notes from historian Richard Sudhalter and Artie Shaw himself.

As you work your way through these discs, you'll witness the Swing Era at the height of its jitterbug mania; Artie's's progression to lush, shimmering orchestrations with strings; his small combos later probing the more complex harmonics of early be-bop; an acclaimed, modern-sounding 1949 orchestra that Artie loved, but the public hated; and, finally, some of the most intricate, emotional small-group jazz that Shaw produced with his last band, the final aggregate of his Gramercy Five that delivers you to the doorstep of the contemporary jazz era.

Of course the set includes Shaw's timeless signature recordings: "Beguine the Beguine", "Frenesi", "Stardust", "Summit Ridge Drive", "Nightmare" and others, which are by all standards models not only of the band he was leading at the moment, but of the musical genre of their type.  Conspicuously and deliberately missing, though, are the dozens of pop tunes, mostly vocals, that Artie was forced by his record company to record for commercial reasons. (His popular collaboration with singer Helen Forrest is completely absent.)  The few vocals that are included here stand as milestone recordings, with singers like Billie Holiday, Hot Lips Page and Mel Torme.

His music continues to captivate audiences and is considered some of the finest jazz of its genre.

For the freeload, tell us what music did your parents play, that as a child you didn't like, but came to appreciate later on?

James Booker - 'Resurrection of the Bayou Maharajah'

 

Throughout his relatively short life, James Booker amassed a colorful array of monikers: the Bayou Maharajah, the Piano Pope, the Ivory Emperor, and the Piano Prince of New Orleans.  However, the most significant nickname he bestowed upon himself was the Bronze (or sometimes Black) Liberace.

The Bayou Maharajah may be my favorite, with a swampy exoticism that hints at the realm of the extraordinary.  However, the Bronze Liberace stands out as the most accurate representation, capturing the essence of the fabulous.  This is not because James Booker was gay, had a flamboyant personality, and was well-versed in the classical music repertoire.  While New Orleans has produced numerous legendary rhythm and blues pianists, only one of them was a classically trained child prodigy who performed all of J.S. Bach’s 'Inventions and Sinfonias' professionally by the tender age of 12.

James, a musical virtuoso, couldn’t be confined by the limitations of classical music.  He boldly abandoned Chopin in favor of the innovative sounds of Jelly Roll Morton.  By the tender age of 14, he had already made his mark in the R&B scene with the release of his debut single, "Doin’ the Hambone".

By the 1960s, James had embarked on a whirlwind tour and recording journey, collaborating with virtually every prominent musician of the era.  It was during this period that he achieved his only major hit with the organ instrumental "Gonzo", a composition that held a special place in the heart of Hunter S. Thompson.

Despite his remarkable success in the R&B world, James never lost sight of his classical roots.  He was once presented with an opportunity to showcase his talents to the renowned concert pianist Arthur Rubinstein.  Rubinstein’s response was quite unexpected, stating, "I could never play that… never at that tempo."

However, amid his musical triumphs, James was grappling with a personal struggle that would ultimately take a toll on his life.  He succumbed to a heroin addiction, which, coupled with mental health issues and alcohol abuse, plagued him throughout his life and ultimately led to his premature demise.  James’ struggles with heroin would also have some odd consequences.  As a storyteller, he would amuse audiences with tales of how he lost his eye.  One had it being torn by hand from his head by an angry dealer, while another (my personal favorite) involved a fight with Ringo Starr.  But the most common story is that he lost it during an assault at Angola Prison in Louisiana.  James Booker’s time in Angola left a deep scar on him.  He’d often rant about the criminal justice system during his live performances.

A New Orleans DA even helped to clear Booker of a drug charge in exchange for James giving his son piano lessons. That son, Harry Connick Jr., later described his mentor’s playing as "Nothing was harder than that. It’s insane."

James Booker’s 'Resurrection of the Bayou Maharajah' was released a decade after his passing at 43 due to kidney failure caused by heroin and alcohol abuse.  This album, compiled from 60 hours of recording over 10 years (1972-82) at the Maple Leaf Bar on Oak Street in New Orleans, is a must-listen for anyone interested in his unique talents.

We get treated to classic N’Awlins R&B piano standards like "Junco Partner", "St. James Infirmary", and "Goodnight Irene" alongside legendary compositions like "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Bony Maronie", "Knock on Wood", "Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". And let’s not forget Jame’s original compositions, including the enigmatic "Papa Was a Rascal".  He even adds his rendition of Cuban pianist and composer Ernesto Lecuona’s "Gitanarias" to the mix.  While he dazzles you with his arpeggios, he also captivates you with his powerful right hand, his voice effortlessly shifting from pure, playful joy to raw, heart-wrenching emotion.  His vocals on "St. James Infirmary" leave a lasting impression.  The more you listen to Booker sing, the more you realize what a true double threat he was.

James’s piano style, once described by Robert Christgau as "the most ornate piano style ever to escape New Orleans" is just the beginning.  His playing is nothing short of incredible—he effortlessly executes acrobatic maneuvers on one hand while simultaneously maintaining a powerful backbeat that leaves him sounding like nobody ever has, or probably ever will.

Tracklist:

1. Medley: Slow Down / Bony Maronie / Knock On Wood / I Heard It  Through The Grapevine / Classified.
2. Medley: Tico Tico / Papa Was A Rascal.
3. Medley: Lawdy Miss Clawdy / Ballad At The Maple Leaf.
4. Minute Waltz.
5. All By Myself.
6. Save Your Love For Me.
7. Junco Partner.
8. St. James Infirmary.
9. Gitanarias.
10. Medley: Life / Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee / It Should Have Been Me.
11. Pop's Dilemma / Irene Goodnight.

For the freeload, who are some of your favorite pianists.