Maxwell

in.Tunes

November 1, 2009

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For an artist whose debut album, Urban Hang Suite, got shelved for two years before its release and ultimate success, Maxwell has let time, patience and the contortions of the music business pass him by like one long balmy breeze in his fourth collection of songs, BLACKsummers'night. He's expounded on the pulsing rhythms and mellifluous melodies that launched his voice more than ten years ago, kicking up soulful dust on the break out tracks, "Bad Habits", "Pretty Wings" and "Help Somebody".

He's used to long stand-offs with the music business. His last break with fame lasted eight years. During that period he shaved his 'fro and tried his best to regain some anonymity in New York City, his hometown. Artists risk losing their fan base in their quest for normalcy but it's clear from one listen to his new album, an intimate invitation into his anti-platinum-record mindset, that Maxwell had something else on his mind. Instead of turning in a typical "comeback" record, replete with collaborative cuts from every chart-topping R&B, dance and remix master on the Billboard scene, Maxwell laid low and stayed close to his musical home by teaming up with his long-time producer, Hod "Urban Hang Suite" Davis. The results are emotionally crafted and deliciously engineered tunes that are all about charting and channeling Maxwell's personality, mood, vibe and sweat.

Trumpet, trombone and sax seem to dig deep here, underscoring the heavy, the heavenly and the happy. But not so happy. Maxwell's uptempo grooves are less about partying and more about celebrating liberation from dour times. The neo soul singer went through something in those eight years, a purported break-up that left him with a broken heart along with some reverberating bass lines and pleading guitar riffs. His ever steady falsetto, blending in seamless ear-bending harmonies, pull you in over and over again, and make you wonder if all the prolific singer/songwriters out there aren't due for an Eight-Year Maxwell Break. There's been talk that maybe "8" is the new magic number. That's a possibility, but what's certain is that Maxwell's comeback has happened and it was definitely worth the wait.

BLACKsummers'night Credits

Maxwell Singer, Songwriter

Federico Pena Keyboardist

Derrick Hodge Bass Player

Keyon Harrold Trumpet Player

Kenneth Whalum III Saxophone Player

Saunders Sermons Trombone Player

Chris “Daddy" Dave Drummer

Shedrick Mitchell Organ Player

Hod David Producer, Engineer, Guitarist, Instrumentalist

Musze (Maxwell) Producer, Engineer, Instrumentalist

Mike Pela Mixer, Engineer

Glen Marchese Mixer, Engineer

Jesse Gladstone Engineer

Benedetto Nino Caccauale Engineer

Tom Coyne Mastering Engineer

Peter Johnson Director NewsSip

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