Bayou Maharajah explores the life and music of New Orleans piano legend James Booker, the man Dr. John once called “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.” Others dubbed him the “Black Liberace” and “Bayou Maharajah.” Everyone knew he was a master, playing a unique style that combined his classical training with jazz, blues, and ragtime. After releasing his first recording at 15, he toured widely, taught Dr. John to play the organ, tutored Harry Connick Jr., and thrilled crowds around the world—and died too soon, in 1983, at the age of 43. Illustrated with never-before-seen performance footage and exclusive interviews, this vibrant film captures the ecstasy and pain of Booker’s flamboyant, sometimes otherworldly existence.