Synopsis: "Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker" explores the life, times and music of piano legend James Booker, who Dr. John described as "the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced." Booker was an unparalleled musician whose eccentricities and showmanship belied a life of struggle and isolation. Triply-marginalized by his race, sexuality, and physical disability, he still managed to excel as a musician in New Orleans and Europe in the turbulent 1960-70s, fusing secular, sacred, pop and classical traditions in breathtaking new ways. A brilliant stylist of soaring imagination, Booker personified the agony of genius in a time of paradigmatic change. [Synopsis courtesy of SXSW]
There are a lot of things to take in at SXSW -- BBQ, beer, movies and just the general vibe of Austin, Texas in the spring. But just as integral is the music. As usual, each year the SXSW Film Festival dedicates a section of their programming to movies and documentaries about music, and one that mig...
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