Resurrection of the Bayou Maharajah is a posthumous live album by the American musician James Booker, released in 1993.[1][2] It was accompanied by the all-instrumental Spiders on the Keys.[3]
| Resurrection of the Bayou Maharajah | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 1993 | |||
| Venue | Maple Leaf Bar | |||
| Genre | New Orleans rhythm and blues, blues, jazz | |||
| Label | Rounder | |||
| Producer | Scott Billington, John Parsons | |||
| James Booker chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editResurrection of the Bayou Maharajah was produced by Scott Billington and John Parsons.[4][5] The songs were recorded at the Maple Leaf Bar between 1972 and 1982, and were chosen from around 60 hours of recordings.[6][7][8] "Save Your Love for Me" is a cover of the Buddy Johnson song.[9] "Gitanarias" is a version of the Ernesto Lecuona composition.[9] "Minute Waltz" was composed by Frédéric Chopin.[10] "Medley: Tico Tico/Papa Was a Rascal" contains a snippet of "Royal Garden Blues", as well as a discourse on the powers of the CIA.[11][12]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| Robert Christgau |  [13] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [5] |
| Orlando Sentinel | [9] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings |  [14] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [15] |
| The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul | [16] |
The Orlando Sentinel wrote that Booker's "high, vinegary voice takes a little getting used to, but its endearing flaws make an interesting contrast to the tumbling fluidity of his playing."[9] The Chicago Tribune said that the album "engagingly capture[s] the late keyboardist's eclectic wizardry."[17] The New York Times noted that "the standout numbers ... toss off barbs of wit and anguish that strike with casual precision... Booker's voice is anemic at times, and while he can command an ardent falsetto, he knows it is no match for his left hand, which takes over near the end."[18]
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette deemed the album "eclectic and unpredictable, with musical mood swings a mile wide."[15] The Boston Globe called "Junco Partner" "8.5 minutes of stomping, killing blues rumba."[19] The Star Tribune labeled the songs "alternately raw, lyrical, poignant, joyous and achingly sad."[20]
AllMusic wrote that Booker "is at his best here ... focused and intense in his playing, wildly passionate on both keyboards and vocals."[7] MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide praised Booker's "total lack of inhibition or playing it safe."[5] In 2002, Keyboard stated that "Booker's arpeggios and fancy trills belie his back-alley delivery; he was capable of astonishing two-handed interplay."[10]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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" |
References
edit- ^ "The piano prince of New Orleans". The Nation. Vol. 257, no. 14. Nov 1, 1993. p. 510.
- ^ Unterberger, Richie (1999). Music USA: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. p. 176.
- ^ Nager, Larry (25 Dec 1993). "Recordings". The Commercial Appeal. p. C3.
- ^ Santoro, Gene (1997). Stir It Up: Musical Mixes from Roots to Jazz. Oxford University Press. p. 78.
- ^ a b c MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 86.
- ^ Krist, Gary (2014). Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder, and the Battle for Modern New Orleans. Crown. p. 428.
- ^ a b c "Resurrection of the Bayou Maharajah: Live at the Maple Leaf Bar Review by Bob Gottlieb". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ Poses, Jon (19 Sep 1993). "Pianist's obscurity inexplicable". Columbia Daily Tribune. p. E1.
- ^ a b c d Gettelman, Parry (15 Oct 1993). "James Booker". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 8.
- ^ a b Gennet, Robbie (Nov 2002). "KeyTracks". Keyboard. Vol. 28, no. 11. p. 20.
- ^ Kiely, John (21 Oct 1993). "One-man orchestra". Kitchener-Waterloo Record. p. D8.
- ^ Smay, Dave (2005). Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed. Taylor & Francis. p. 32.
- ^ "James Booker". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. Penguin. 2006. p. 59.
- ^ a b White, Jim (12 Dec 1993). "Blues". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. E5.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of R&B and Soul. Virgin. p. 35.
- ^ Dahl, Bill (12 Nov 1993). "Blues notes". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. S.
- ^ Miles, Milo (28 Nov 1993). "Wizardry on the Keyboard". The New York Times. p. A36.
- ^ Wald, Elijah (12 Dec 1993). "8 new CDs spotlight 3 New Orleans masters of the keys". The Boston Globe. p. B22.
- ^ Mason, Rick (2 Jan 1994). "Jazz". Star Tribune. p. 2F.