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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 18, 2013 5:32:14 GMT
Luckily I'm not the sullen, envious type.  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2013 6:09:09 GMT
I'm just back from the event. I thought that the footage,portrayal,sound,etc. was superb. My reservations were that the presentation and the majority of the audience didn't quite "get it" a la the gist of what many of the gestures, mannerisms, very NOLA things were about. Every time one of us in the audience familiar with the characters or dialogue,etc. made any kind of reaction, be it laughter, cackle, snort or stomp was met by some " aushlander" type reaction by artsy types who were clueless as to what they were beholding. I did meet with the director at the after party and commended her on her efforts. The footage was indeed outstanding as was the audio. There was something quite missing in capturing Booker's spirit that i can't quite put into words.... I have a story which I will post in short order regarding someone in the audience who kept taking offense at my and companies giggling etc. and at one point stating that he had "made the film" and would we please hush.....  |
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 18, 2013 17:14:34 GMT
REALLY, really, really dying to hear your take on the whole thing. There must have been so many people in the audience who remember Booker. Still, there's a whole hipster class born after he died, so I have an idea of how The Others must have reacted. Was Parsons there?
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 18, 2013 23:46:29 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2013 1:22:05 GMT
Ms. Fenterstock has been one of our gifts to the city in terms of fantastic coverage of the music scene here in NOLA. Far more so than some of the previous music "critics" reviewers .
In short, she is a gem, and her reportage of the Booker premiere gives way to all that is sacred for us who have lived here and embraced the culture and music scene over several decades.
My reservations, not necessarily criticisms of the film had more to do with that there wasn't much coverage of the grittiness and interviews, comments etc. from Booker's weekly audience, the people who went and listened to him, tolerated, respected his genius on a level that many of the local celebrity types portrayed and interviewed intermittenly through out the film could have given a up close and personal take on Booker's last performances.
I never saw Harry Connick Jr.at the Maple Leaf, or Hugh Laurie(?)etc...
I can forgive this of course because this was clearly a true labor of love and for all the data,footage etc. the director and her team had to comb through, she and her team did a superb job.
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 22, 2013 2:41:23 GMT
In fairness, I don't think Harry Connick, Jr. was old enough for Booker at the Leaf.
I can't wait to see the film & am of course curious to see how closely we might agree on it.
Walking home tonight, I passed a club with a big screen close to the street. It was playing a video of Amy Winehouse when she was still in full voice and in command of her art. I stood there for a few minutes to listen and enjoy, then walked on & forgot about it. Reading your reservations made me think about my passing reminder tonight of a huge talent snuffed out by and to many, mostly remembered for the self-destructiveness.
Although I'm saying this without having seen the film, it's very possible that Kleber wanted to create more of a balanced view of Booker's gift, rather than tipping the scales toward the Booker you & I mostly remember.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2013 11:39:31 GMT
Good point about Harry Connick Jr. That escaped me.
But, you do get my gist...
Lily Kleber, the director, did tell me she had tons of other footage and plans on releasing a DVD of the movie and a supplemental DVD with other footage.
As mentioned, and something I found very appealing was the use of old footage from years ago. The grainy quality of it really leant a timeless delicacy to the overall legend of this man.
Also, what blew my mind was footage of many people we know (knew) and how young they were. (Parsons, Lee Madere, Reggie Scanlon, Dr.. John, Johnny Vidocovish et al.)
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Post by bixaorellana on Oct 31, 2013 19:43:55 GMT
Hear ye, hear ye, Anyporters around the world. This just in from Bayou Maharajah's fb page: Mark your calendar and check our 'events' pages for details. Bayou Maharajah November tour schedule: Nov 11th. Athens, GA. Nov 14th. Lafayette, LA. Nov 17th. St Louis, MO. Nov 23rd. London, UK. Nov 24th. Paris, France. Dec 1st. Rome, Italy. www.bayoumaharajah.com/ |
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 3, 2013 17:18:30 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 2, 2014 19:38:24 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2014 14:02:10 GMT
Happy Birthday James!!
On Monday, Ricki Lee Jones did a live in the studio interview on WWOZ.
(She now lives here!!!!)
Anyway, she did share some wonderful memories about performing with Booker.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 9, 2016 14:40:04 GMT
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Post by bixaorellana on Aug 25, 2016 15:31:02 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2016 15:35:55 GMT
I was just informed that the Booker documentary is currently (as of today I believe), available on Neflix!!!!!
PLEASE watch this flick good people.
It will not dissapoint.
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Post by bixaorellana on Sept 1, 2016 16:58:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 2, 2016 19:57:57 GMT
Thanks for that Bixa.
I look forward to checking that out.
(I really have to giggle and was telling T. yesterday about this thread that was likely one of the earliest threads on the Port and how you and I have best I know, been the only responders.
T. commented that such was the history of Bookers career, so few knew or bothered with him save some European audiences.
All the nights he played at the Leaf and there were maybe a half a dozen people present, including the bartender.)
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2016 19:35:50 GMT
Now equipped with a new laptop my husband can now sit back and view the documentary on Booker.
If anyone was/is more deserving of this and at this particular time it is he.
I can't wait to see/hear his reaction upon viewing it.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 4, 2020 18:15:53 GMT
This is an extra to the documentary which I find not only charming, but illuminating. Connick is not the only pianist featured in extra features to the film. Go to youtube to find one by Dr. John and one by Allen Toussaint.
While looking up the extra features above, I came across this remarkable audio documentary on Booker:
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Post by casimira on Dec 4, 2020 19:26:39 GMT
Brilliant!!! just loved listening to these and the memories it stirred up for me. Thank you so much for posting these Bixa!
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Post by bixaorellana on Nov 23, 2022 4:37:08 GMT
Oh boy oh boy am I pumped! I finally got to watch all of Bayou Maharajah!!!!!
Talk about being picked up and dunked in parts of my own past in some of the film -- the places, the people! Seeing Parsons made me marvel that any of us had ever been that young.
But enough of that. The documentary as a documentary is just plain stellar. If Lily Kleber wanted to get the world to sit up and take notice of James Booker, she sure went about it the right way.
I don't know how long this will be allowed to stay on youtube, although it's apparently been there a month already. Anyway, watch it while you can. The resolution is a crappy 360p, but not nearly as bad as I expected it would be.
cross-posting this to Documentaries
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Post by casimira on Nov 24, 2022 15:18:11 GMT
Thank you so much for posting this, Bixa.
One viewing is never enough of this gem.
(the resolution is decent enough and the grainy vintage footage in B&W captures the times so brilliantly)
And yes, we were that young at one time....
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Post by casimira on Dec 17, 2022 14:32:06 GMT
Tonight at our local music club is the annual James Booker Birthday Bash www.mapleleafbar.com/leafI'm really glad it's an early show otherwise I doubt I would make it to a 10 p.m. show as in years past. I'm familiar with some of the performers but not all of them. |
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 17, 2022 17:59:20 GMT
I'm counting on you to take me with you in spirit!
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Post by casimira on Dec 18, 2022 19:05:07 GMT
I'm counting on you to take me with you in spirit! You were!! It was a fine affair. Not too, too crowded and a brilliant group of performers. I only wish that the weather had been nicer vs. the dank chill so that people could sit out on the patio and listen which would have been my preference. (At 5 pm they showed the documentary on the big screen in the music room which was a great idea!) .
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