Bayou Maharajah explores the life and music of New Orleans piano legend James Booker, the man Dr. John described as "the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced." A brilliant pianist, his eccentricities and showmanship belied a life of struggle, prejudice, and isolation. Illustrated with never-before-seen concert footage, rare personal photos and exclusive interviews, the film paints a portrait of this overlooked genius.... (Full plot summary below)
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Bayou Maharajah explores the life and music of New Orleans piano legend James Booker, the man Dr. John described as "the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced." A brilliant pianist, his eccentricities and showmanship belied a life of struggle, prejudice, and isolation. Illustrated with never-before-seen concert footage, rare personal photos and exclusive interviews, the film paints a portrait of this overlooked genius.
Leave your thoughts about Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker.
| MovieMailMike McCahillOverall, though, Keber's film feels like an honourable attempt to tidy up after and make order of its subject's spiralling chaos. |
| GuardianPeter Bradshaw[A] richly enjoyable documentary tribute. |
| Time OutTom HuddlestonA sympathetic portrait of a genuinely idiosyncratic, outrageous individual. |
| Chicago ReaderKevin WarwickBooker sparkles in the archival performance clips, and director Lily Keber wisely homes in on his live solo performances, bringing out his character and talent. |
| Observer (UK)Wendy IdeBayou Maharajah is worth watching for the performance footage alone. |
| User ReviewMark LSaw the rough cuts 5 years ago. Great material - fantastic music. |
| User ReviewPhillip OBetween being hit by an ambulance at 9 and dying tragically young at 43, James Carroll Booker III rode music life's wildest roller coaster. A brilliant pianist who could swing with ease across the spectrum from blues to classical, a gay black man who never found his perfect place, and a proud New Orleanian born and deceased in Charity Hospital, Booker gets as good a treatment as likely possible from director Keber. |
