James Booker Classified LP

TAS Rated 4/5 Music, 3.5/5 Sonics in the January 2021 Issue of The Absolute Sound!

A deeply complex character, Booker only released two studio albums in his lifetime. However, Classified - his unintended swan song - offers one of his greatest commercially-released performances. Recorded in 1982, it is primarily the result of a whirlwind, four-hour session. In addition to several originals, the album includes a jaunty repertoire of mainly local fare, including Fats Domino's "One for the Highway" and Lloyd Price's "Lawdy Miss Clawdy".

Some of the performances are rough, but all ooze authenticity. Booker performs solo piano and vocals on all but five tracks, which feature a rhythm section. The raucous arrangement of 'Baby Face' captures Booker's flamboyant performance style and could easily have been recorded at Tipitina's on a Saturday night. But Booker's genius for blending jazz, R&B, and classical forms is most evident on the solo piano cover of 'Madame X' and his elegant rendering of the standard 'Angel Eyes.' Craft has done an admirable job remixing and remastering this LP. Meanwhile, the label is sitting on a treasure trove of live Booker sessions (last reissued in 1993 by Rounder, now owned by Craft's parent company, the Concord Music Group). Let's hope Classified portends more quality Booker reissues.