Lesson 32 of 40PianoIntermediate

Overview

1:09
In this section Paddy looks at the piano style of the legendary James Booker, the 'Bayou Maharajah'.
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Paddy MilnerYour guruPaddy Milner

What's in the course

40 lessons (2h 57m) · 1 free
    • 01. Overview

      You are here

      1:09

    • 02. Dominant seventh rolled chords

      8:35

    • 03. Diminished chords

      8:00

    • 04. Bookers' Bass Bounce

      6:07

    • 05. Booker style stride

      4:15

    • 06. Gospel lick

      3:20

Lesson transcript

The Language of James Booker

So I thought it'd be fun to do a section looking at the language of James Booker. He is such an incredible piano player, really embodying the spirit of New Orleans, that real melting pot, that gumbo of influences and culture.

Influences

He draws from a wide range of musical styles, including:

  • Gospel
  • Blues
  • Ragtime
  • Classical (with a significant influence from Jelly Roll Morton)

And he kind of weaves them all together in this beautiful, amazing style that's full of funk and full of energy.

Key Ideas

I just want to look at a few little ideas that he uses in his playing, ideas that I think can be taken out and then used in improvisation in different contexts.

So, yeah, let's have a look at a few of his ideas.

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Meet your guru

Paddy Milner

Paddy Milner

Paddy Milner is recognised as one of the leading blues piano players in the world - he is currently keyboard player of choice for Sir Tom Jones, following several years with the late, great Jack Bruce - but he is also a superb original songwriter and a distinctive singer. Just read the praise from the likes of Dave Brubeck below! His playing was featured on the soundtrack for the hit 2019 film 'Rocketman'.

He has twice won the award for Best Keyboard Player in the British Blues Awards, and he holds a long-standing residency as a founder member of the Ronnie Scott's Blues Explosion at the world-renowned Ronnie Scott's club.

His current group LONDONOLA plays homegrown British music with a strong dose of New Orleans spirit, and his collaborative group JAWBONE goes from strength to strength following the release of their self-titled debut album.

  • "I love it... there's a guy who can really play the piano" - Dave Brubeck
  • "I highly recommend it. Somehow things start to feel much better!" - Jack Bruce
  • "The best blues piano player in Europe..." - Blues Access, USA
  • "Impressive & original" - The Times
  • "Dazzling" - The Independent

Across his courses, Paddy breaks down authentic blues shuffle, slow blues, boogie-woogie, rock 'n' roll and New Orleans piano - right down to three classic boogie-woogie songs - so you can learn these styles from one of the very best in the business.

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