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"Three and a half minutes into his rendition the live recording of his microcosmically titled composition, "Life," James Booker throws an astonishing run across the piano keys that tells us, in a handful of musical measures, how unfathomable and incalculable his talent was. He knows it, too, letting out the smallest, self-satisfied utterance -- "Hah" -- at the solo's end. Do not, he seems to be warn his audience, try that if you are not Booker. And no one else ever or hence will be Booker. Lily Keber's in
A brilliant pianist, his eccentricities and showmanship belied a life of struggle, prejudice, and isolation. A wild genius with a style that combined elements of rhythm-and-blues, jazz, ragtime and classical music, he gained the nicknames "Piano Prince of New Orleans", "Black Liberace" and "Bayou Maharajah". Illustrated with never-before-seen concert footage, rare personal photos and exclusive interviews, the film paints a portrait of this overlooked genius.