Classified (James Booker album)
| Classified | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Studio album by | |
| Released | 1982 |
| Genres | R&B, blues, jazz |
| Label | Rounder[1] |
| Producer | Scott Billington |
Classified is a studio album by the New Orleans pianist James Booker, released in 1982.[2][3] It was reissued in an expanded edition in 2013.[4]
Production
The album was produced by Scott Billington, who recorded several sessions with Booker in 1982.[5] The sessions were at times interrupted by Booker's odd behavior or his stints in jail.[6] Classified captures both solo and quartet recordings; Booker's Maple Leaf Bar band included bassist James Singleton, saxophonist Alvin Tyler, and drummer Johnny Vidacovich.[4][7][8] The Professor Longhair medley came to an abrupt end when Booker left mid-song in order to cash a check.[9]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [5] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [10] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [11] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [12] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [9] |
Robert Christgau wrote that "in general there's too much reliance on the left hand, with the consequent loss of dynamic subtlety compounded by a klutzy drum mix."[1] The Philadelphia Daily News praised Booker's "great stomping piano, [which is] not quite as fervent as Fats Domino or as idiosyncratic as Professor Longhair, but mightily infectious all the same."[13]
AllMusic called the album "one of the great blues albums of the early '80s."[5]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All Around the World" | Titus Turner | 3:22 |
| 2. | "One for the Highway" | Fats Domino | 2:30 |
| 3. | "King of the Road" | Roger Miller | 2:53 |
| 4. | "Professor Longhair Medley: Bald Head / Tipitina" | Roy Byrd | 3:36 |
| 5. | "Baby Face" | Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby | 3:08 |
| 6. | "Swedish Rhapsody" | Traditional; arranged by James Booker | 2:05 |
| 7. | "Classified" | Booker | 3:12 |
| 8. | "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" | Lloyd Price | 3:24 |
| 9. | "Angel Eyes" | Matt Dennis, Earl K. Brent | 3:26 |
| 10. | "Hound Dog" | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:26 |
| 11. | "If You're Lonely" | James, Gibson | 2:49 |
| 12. | "Three Keys" | Booker | 3:17 |
Personnel
- James Booker – piano
- James Singleton – bass
- Alvin Tyler – saxophone
- Johnny Vidacovich – drums
References
- 1 2 3 "James Booker". Robert Christgau.
- ↑ Pareles, Jon (November 10, 1983). "James Booker, 'Piano Prince'". The New York Times. p. D25.
- ↑ Komara, Edward (2004). The Blues Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 139.
- 1 2 "James Booker – Classified: Remixed and Expanded". No Depression. December 10, 2013.
- 1 2 3 "Classified James Booker". AllMusic.
- ↑ Tamarkin, Jeff (April 25, 2019). "James Booker: Classified: Remixed and Expanded". JazzTimes.
- ↑ Lioce, Tony (September 25, 1983). "Roomful and Booker: Good Listening". The Providence Journal. p. H12.
- ↑ "James Booker's 'Classified' reissued Oct. 15 in remixed, expanded version". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- 1 2 The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 73–74.
- ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 1. MUZE. p. 754.
- ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 144.
- ↑ Tucker, Ken (July 31, 1983). "James Booker, Classified (Rounder)". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. R10.
- ↑ Kanzler, George (October 8, 1983). "The Blues: Flexible but Still True to Its Roots". Features. Philadelphia Daily News. p. 15.