To mark the 75th birthday of New Orleans piano genius James Booker on December 17, OffBeat and the Maple Leaf hosted a “Night of 1,000 Bookers” party.
Booker performed at the Maple Leaf regularly, and he played his last performance at the iconic Oak Street venue.
To get the crowd into a festive spirit, we handed out eye patches with OffBeat logos mimicking Booker’s own distinctive star-emblazoned eye patch.
Hosted by OffBeat contributor David Kunian, the night featured Tom McDermott, David Torkanowsky, Ronald Markham, Tom Worrell, CR Gruver, Joe Krown, Bill Malchow, and Papa Mali.
Booker would have had a blast.
All photos by Brandt Vicknair. Click here to view the gallery on Flickr.
Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Joe Krown at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Tom McDermott at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Tom McDermott at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Tom McDermott at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
David Kunian at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Tom Worrell at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Papa Mali at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Tom Worrell at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Ronald Markham at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Ronald Markham at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Ronald Markham at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
Reya Hart at Night of 1,000 Bookers, Maple Leaf, New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2014
