Great Music
This is just flat-out great music. Booker's best recordings are live, so don't opt for the studio. I think the thing that makes this album great, apart from Booker's virtuoso piano playing and deeply soulful and engaging voice, is the audience. Unfortunately, the vast majority of live Booker recordings sound as if they were performed in front of quite small, and at times seemingly disinterested, crowds. In this European recoding the crowd is attentive and appreciative. I find that Booker fed off that and really belted into these particular tracks. Let Them Talk is a virtual tour-de-force of soul music; vocal expression with a rolling, dynamic piano paving the way. This would probably classify as Booker's best recorded performance. A must have for lovers of fine music. Five Stars.

Best N.O. Piano Player Ever
James Booker was a prodigy. Being a New Orleans native I've had the good fortune to see and hear most, if not all of the great N.O. piano players live. Not to take anything away from Dr. John (Mac Rebbenack), Proffesor Longhair, Huey Smith, Harry Connick Jr, or Allen Toussaint, because everyone one of the aforementioned names either were, or for the ones still living, great in their own right, but Booker was the KING...Harry Connick Jr's dad, when he was the D.A. in New Orleans, would get Booker out of jail so he could give young Harry piano lessons, and to this day I think Harry Connick Jr will agree with my assessment that James Carrol Booker was the greatest ...Buy any James Booker CD and you won't be disappointed.

sneaks up on you
i scored this record from the buck bin yesterday. the owner of the shop looked at it like maybe it shouldn't have been in there but sold it to me anyhow. he said i should run home quick and listen to it because james booker is a revelation. right he was - when side one finished i didn't even flip over the record, i just plopped the needle right back at the beginning.

it may just be solo piano and a little singing but the sound is big, beautiful, complex, soulful. one of those rare records that make me kick myself over all the years i spent not listening to it.

Hear it again (exponentially) and feel good
If you love New Orleans jazz, esp. piano songs, you'll love this album. I end up listening to this album almost every day at work -- it's inspirational in the best sense of the word. I bought this CD because I love Prof. Longhair and Dr. John and was looking for new influences; read the above amazon reviews and decided to give it a shot. You should too. James Booker's voice and piano will shake your soul and make you love humanity. It's a feel-good CD, a really-feel-good CD.

A Wonderful Gem
One of my favorite recordings. Booker is an outstanding pianist and his singing is both touching and powerful. He thrilled me as he obviously also did the audience present during the recording of this album. I have probably listened more often to this album, than any other in my collection.