Sun Singleton over at Soulsummer.com took the time to write a wonderful article about Maxwell and his twitter habits. His steadfast humanitarianism and love for other artist’s music (Marsha Ambrosius, Tweet, Georgia Anne Muldrow, and Robert Glasper) was highlighted. If you have the time, check out the article it really shows how words (Maxwell’s words) have power.

Twitter is all the rage and superstars like Maxwell are making use of the creative social-networking platform to shine light on fellow visionaries making music beneath the mainstream radar.

Grammy-winning soul singer Maxwell’s much-ballyhooed return to music was 2009′s version of Sade’s divine comeback this year, it was like “okay, mainstream soul actually can still offer listeners subtlety, virtuosity and glamour.”

In truth, Maxwell and Sade returning to soul music within a year of each other felt like soul music lovers were finally being treated to some authentic soul food after a daily Dollar-Meal diet of auto tune offerings from a trendy plethora of rappers singing and singers rapping on the radio. It was a relief to rediscover that magic could still be channeled into this music. Two credible soul icons of the nineties re-emerged after their decade-long sabbaticals, and soul music lovers everywhere were thrilled to welcome them back to their bedroom playlists. I must admit that I regularly check out Maxwell’s Twitter page, and when I do it’s a total fan-girl thing for me. Read the rest at SoulSummer.com

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Check out this interview Soulsummer.com did with Maxwell last year // INTERVIEW: How Maxwell Got His Groove Back
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Source: SoulSummer.com // Thanks to Curry for the link

Below is a quote from The L.A. Times about the airing of the Grammy nominations, last night, December 02, 2009. Mostly, author Ann Powers, was not feeling the program but she enjoyed Maxwell’s performance of Michael Jackson’s “Lady In My Life” and was in full support of him receiving his 6 Grammy nominations.

CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK: A big Grammy nomination: This show has got to go
December 2, 2009 | Ann Powers

Only one moment transcended the ridiculousness. Maxwell’s performance of Michael Jackson’s “The Lady in My Life,” which served as the evening’s requisite MJ tribute, not only stood out, it made a quiet case for itself as one of the best televised musical performances of the year. Deploying his world-class falsetto in front of an understated but wicked-sharp band, the Brooklyn-based soul singer created an oasis of calm within the night’s information overload.

If anyone questions his right to so many Grammy nominations after this performance, they’re simply tone-deaf.

As wonderful a gift as Maxwell gave, it wasn’t enough to justify this hour of prime-time chaos…

Source: The L.A. Times

Walk in AIDS Patients’ Shoes
By Maxwell, Special to CNN
December 1, 2009 8:15 a.m. EST

Editor’s note: On his current tour, R&B singer Maxwell is highlighting the impact of antiretroviral medication in fighting HIV-AIDS.

(CNN) — Among the many blessings I’ve encountered in several years in the music business is the ability to use my voice to raise awareness for issues and to help others.

My greatest joy is in expressing compassion for others. It’s so important to take time away from your own circumstances and try to walk in someone else’s shoes or see the world through someone else’s eyes.

As part of CNN’s Heroes event last week, I got to see some of the most supreme examples of this from around the world. Tuesday is World AIDS Day, and I encourage all of us to put ourselves in the shoes of those battling this disease and especially consider some of the parts of our global community that are hardest hit.

Consider this: in many countries in Africa, AIDS is the leading cause of death. This is a preventable, treatable disease, but still of the 33 million people living with this disease globally, 22 million are in Africa, and it continues to kill 3,800 people a day on that continent. But the more important thing we should consider is that this is not hopeless. There is something that can be done, and there is a way to do it.

Read More

Hanging out in the studio…reppin’ the STL with Maxwell
(l to r, Me, Shedrick, Keyon (in front), Max, and Keyon’s brother Emmanuel)

Maxwell not only has the hottest new album out, but his new tour might equal, if not eclipse the accolades that the studio production is receiving. After an eight year hiatus, Maxwell is back and this weekend his BLACKsummers’night Tour will hit St. Louis.

Maxwell’s new album boasts a sound that blends love with laughter, pain with perseverance. BLACKsummers’night is the marriage of Maxwell’s soulful, intimate, and inspiring vocals to the superb musicianship of an outstanding band. Two of those band members, Shedrick Mitchell and Keyon Harrold, are St. Louis natives that are excited about their homecoming this Friday.

For both Shedrick and Keyon the black church was an integral part of their musical and personal coming of age. Shedrick began playing the piano and organ for his grandfather’s congregation and later for his father’s church, (both located in Kinloch, MO). Keyon played the trumpet in much the same way. Family and faith were one in the same. “The church is the basis of my playing…it is that soul that other cats can’t learn,” Keyon mentions. Elaborating further, Shedrick suggests that there is an invaluable asset to growing up in the church as he and Keyon did. For Shedrick, the church, “prepared me for everything that I’ve encountered to maintain and stay on the scene…to have longevity and musically stay alert with my onstage surroundings.”

Being alert is an important part of playing with Maxwell it seems. Shedrick calls Maxwell a “spontaneous entertainer” referencing the fact that working with him whether in the studio or especially live, the singer “keeps you on your toes. ” Likewise, Keyon finds that Maxwell’s ability to allow each band member freedom that does not compromise their own sound, while still contributing to something innovative and new is important as well. Keyon admits, “I feel like I’m playing my music every night–that’s a blessing.”

This is not that hard to believe. Keyon says that working with Maxwell has been a “musically stimulating experience, ” from the standpoint that they “have created incredible music together…and there’s still more levels of creativity to be dealt with.”

Generally speaking, that very “creativity” emerges from both sacred and secular forms of music. Those musical roots have been equally significant in the musical maturation of Shedrick and Keyon. Both musicians cite gospel and jazz as their biggest musical influences. In Shedrick’s case in particular it was Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” (1959) and Chick Corea’s Akoustic Band’s “Alive” (1991) album that really began to expand his musical horizons.

In much the same way, Keyon found his inspiration through the work of Davis too. “The album I fell in love with was the “Birth of the Cool”,”(1949) mentions Keyon. The sound and tone of Miles’ trumpet on the tune “Boplicity” reaffirmed his love for the instrument and jazz music when he first heard it around age twelve.

Aside from a shared experience of family and faith, Shedrick and Keyon are products of the same high school in St. Louis (McCluer Senior High) and also attended Mannes College The New School for Music in New York City. These master musicians have played with the best artists in almost every genre of music: jazz, gospel, rock, R&B, country, and rap. Shedrick and Keyon last played together with iconic rapper Jay-Z on his American Gangster Tour.

Now together again, playing for Maxwell, Shedrick and Keyon bring their extraordinary talents into a volatile cauldron of creativity that will both grab at your heart and enliven your spirit. Specifically, you can hear the spontaneous, smooth, effortless, and yet robust sound of Keyon’s trumpet on full display when Maxwell performs “Playing Possum”. Shedrick personifies the sacred and secular mastery of the Hammond B3 organ as he commands the instrument like no other. His solos ring out like a divine messenger calling us to serve in “Help Somebody” while his chords are enchanting in the sultry, intoxicating “Bad habits”.

Both musicians are able to accomplish such musical feats, along with their bandmates, without ever overpowering the vocal stylings of Maxwell. Shedrick and Keyon remain students of their craft. Shedrick maintains, “it’s very important for me to always be a student of the music because I never want to become complacent with where I am…music is always evolving and it’s very important that I keep my ears to the ground to stay fresh and current.”

BLACKsummers’night is more than “fresh and current”. When I first heard this album in November of last year, in its earliest incarnations, I knew it would change and revitalize an industry starving for creativity, purpose, and passion.

Maxwell has done it again, and Shedrick and Keyon are valuable assets to the continued growth of Maxwell’s artistry, while staying true to their own sound.

To say that both musicians are excited about their homecoming is truly an understatement. “St. Louis is going to have an unforgettable night of music…Maxwell is going to croon and I’m going to keep it soulful and sexy,” Keyon comments. Shedrick is assured that his hometown is in for a unique experience. “They can expect a night of musical romance, ” he professes. As far as his own contribution to the concert Shedrick declares “…it will be a great night for everyone…for my family…for the fans as well because everyone will be family that night. People won’t know if they are in a store front baptist church or an Alabama juke joint!” “PIANOMAN”,(Shedrick’s musical alias), promises “the concert will give you the sacred and secular in no particular order.”

Ironically enough Shedrick’s forthcoming solo project is called “The Sacred and the Secular”. His first album “Introducing Shedrick Mitchell” was released independently in 1996. Keyon just recently released his own solo project, “Introducing Keyon” in September on the Criss Cross Jazz label while also producing a remix of Maxwell’s “Pretty Wings” with his brother Jason.

St. Louis prepare for a helluva show!

V. C. Mitchell, Jr., October 07, 2009

Source and Demetria

MAXWELL knows how to break hearts. Even ours.

At a packed fundraiser for actor Jeffrey Wright’s Taia Peace Foundation on Friday afternoon at Oya, the neo-soul singer delivered a textbook celebrity-advocate performance: brief, and leave ‘em wanting more. He said that he was “deeply honored” to be with the crowd and that he was speaking as “a simple man who grew up on public assistance,” adding that he’ll do what he can to support peace and “interconnectedness.” A female attendee punctuated his remarks with a rowdy “Yeah!”

We wanted to ask him how he deals with that — the passionate outbursts of fans who can’t get enough — but he was late for a sound check at Verizon Center, where he performed that night. We had to settle for the artful way his all-black outfit blurred past us while several handlers steered him toward the back door.

Luckily, Wright stuck around to chat. His foundation, which helps rural communities in Sierra Leone take control of their natural resources, is getting a boost from other famous friends — Ben Stiller, Jessica Alba, Alicia Keys — but he’s a huge fan of Maxwell. The pair toured the White House together Friday: “I wanted to make sure he had an opportunity to experience this new era from the command center,” Wright said. During the tour, they met Vice President Biden and chatted with several aides.

Source

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Find out more about Jeffrey Wright’s Taia Peace Foundation by visiting The Latest Maxwell News’ Help Somebody/Give page.

Maxwell’s BLACKsummers’night tour hits the Verizon Center tonight, and if you’re attending, you’re almost guaranteed to hear all of your favorite Maxwell hits: “Fortunate” and “Til We Become the Sun” from the old albums; “Bad Habits” and “Pretty Wings” from his comeback disc. In fact, you may even get an extended version of “Pretty Wings!” And don’t worry—if it looks like the show is over and you haven’t yet heard “Pretty Wings,” odds are that Maxwell is just faking you out, so don’t get all agitated, because he’s totally going to sing it. And in the highly unlikely event that Maxwell doesn’t sing “Pretty Wings,” you can hear it on the radio on the car ride home at least 15 times.

But, there is one song that you probably won’t hear tonight, as it rarely, if ever, gets play at a Maxwell show:

“Eachhoureachsecondeachminuteeachday: Of My Life” from 1998’s Embrya. Yes, the title is deeply obnoxious, but it’s one of Maxwell’s best tracks ever.

See, “Eachhoureachsecond…” incorporates elements of all of Maxwell’s finest songs: The knocking percussion of “Sumthin’ Sumthin,” the excellent high notes of “This Woman’s Work,” the funky bassline of “Get to Know Ya.”

So, with all of that going for it, why wasn’t this song a hit? Perhaps it’s just too much Maxwell goodness and overwhelms people? Or, maybe it needed a cool video featuring Terrence Howard and Morris Chestnut, to really sell it?

At any rate, if Maxwell asks for requests tonight, don’t strain your lungs screaming out “…Til the Cops Come Knockin’” or some other song that he’s already sure to sing. Shout “Eachhoureachsecondeachminuteeachday!” Or try to, at least.

Source

…In the meantime, Maxwell came to Albany — or I should say, he returned to Albany. Before his arrival, a publicist called me and said Maxwell really wanted to do an interview with the Times Union because he felt so bad about how he had to cancel the last time he was in town. I hadn’t heard about that. So I scoured our archives and found the story from October 2001 in which Maxwell was in town. His opening act had finished playing at the Palace Theatre and, 15 minutes later, an announcement was made that Maxwell was canceling his performance due to a dental emergency.

On July 21, though, Maxwell finally made his Albany debut. According to our reviewer, this is what he told the crowd: “A long time ago, I was supposed to play a show here, and I messed up really bad. I’m so sorry.”

This is what one fan said: “The fact that Maxwell was humble and gracious enough to apologize for not showing for his last concert @ the Palace made me love him even more. He has truly grown as an artist on many levels. He was sooooo engaging with the audience!” – Albany Times Union

Just one month before Michael Jackson died, rap mouthpiece Jay-Z released an obituary for a different roar de force, Auto-Tune, or the technique of correcting one’s pitch with technology. Lately, it seems like all that you need to have a hip-hop hit.

With “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune),” Jay argues that urban music’s trend of overwhelming voice manipulation has gone too far. Rappers need to stay in their own lane of, well, rapping. That is, if you can’t sing, leave the singing to people who can. Makes sense, right?

Rallying behind any sort of grand statement like this means we have to consider who can actually sing and entertain without misleading, repetitive and trendy veneers, especially after the death of the guy, the king, who did just that. And, as if on queue, Maxwell’s fourth album, BLACKsummers’night, the first installment in a trilogy slated to be released over the next three years and his first album in eight years, arrives to give us an option worth keeping.

Maxwell’s 13-year career has never coincided with any prevailing music trend. He was at the top of neo-soul, for instance, when he bowed out of music for nearly a decade. But Maxwell has continued to play his cards right, holding them when need be. For that, he deserves to be called a king of sorts—and we should welcome him back to the fold.

There’s one important parallel between the careers of Michael and Maxwell: influence and the imitation that followed. Almost every R&B artist has tried to channel at least one of MJ’s moves or notes. (Did you see that BET Awards show?) They’ve often done this through the use of production tools like Auto-Tune. To boot, many R&B vocalists (and hip-hop artists) also attempted to achieve the same type of vibrato that Maxwell delivered on classic ballads like “The Woman’s Work.”

Michael never really got his chance to get even with his imitators, but now that Maxwell has returned, we get songs like “Pretty Wings”" and “Fistful of Tears,” both of which should intimidate any namby-pamby artists from coming out of the studio with anything as inert and anomic as the soulless voices that we’ve been hearing on the radio for two years. With “D.O.A.,” perhaps Jay-Z expressed what the publicly soft-spoken Michael needed to say to his acolytes: If you can’t sing without the machines, kids, find your talent. And, now, Maxwell has somehow saved us from having to have an argument about who’s valid when Auto-Tune is dead by offering us three years of answers.

While it may seem appalling to associate the absolving nature of Maxwell’s suite/ sweet pleas with anything by a 39-year-old rapper whose own return seems founded on penning a death shot to a hip-hop toy, remember that, before BLACKsummers’night, Maxwell’s only musical offerings since 2001 were unannounced features on two different hip-hop tracks. On Nas’ Street’s Disciple, Maxwell sang a hook. In a rather odd pairing, he collaborated with New York producer The Alchemist (mostly known for supplying frightening, street-friendly beats to whoever can afford them) on one song.

BLACKsummers’night is Maxwell’s brief, nine-song reassurance that, unlike D’Angelo and Lauryn Hill, he’ll stay with us and share his break-up pains as long as we let him be who he wants to be. Or, as he recently told Uptown magazine, his seven-year absence stemmed from dissatisfaction with the notion of conditional celebrity. “I got tired of chasing my tail and other people’s approval,” he said.

If we’ve learned anything from the past month, it should be that the pressure one has to endure in courting public approval can lead to unfortunate ends. So, starting with Maxwell, let’s prove to ourselves that we can appreciate some damn good singing for what it is.

And if it’s bad singing, kill it.

Source

If you’re doing quality work within a genre, you don’t tend to declare it dead. And then there’s Maxwell, the R&B singer whose puffy Afro and history-conscious music made him a leading sex symbol of ’90s neo-soul. “Is there even such a thing as R&B anymore?” he asks. “Hip-hop has completely absorbed it. I have no problem with that.” Even if this is a politic acknowledgment of reality, it’s a good thing he doesn’t mind. Maxwell just released his first new album in eight years: the awkwardly titled BLACKsummers’night. Turns out he’s changed, too.

After his platinum debut in 1996 and a No. 1 record in 2001, Maxwell dropped out of the game. The explanation is human enough: he wanted a life outside the industry. “People who do get a great deal of success, they start to buy into the conditional aspect of that love,” Maxwell says. “I’m so happy that I didn’t lose the real idea of who I am.” By the time he began recording new material, Maxwell was digging acts like Radiohead and Fleet Foxes. So while his music is still grounded in ’70s soul, there are stray hints of expanded listening habits. The interplay between electric guitar and horns on the standout track “Help Somebody” goes beyond Green and Gaye, though you suspect the old masters would approve. And where his songs once seemed more jammy than rigorously composed, there’s a pleasing tightness to Maxwell’s latest. At 38 minutes, it’s the rare return that’s confident enough to be concise.

During Maxwell’s hiatus, R&B went though its own evolution. Crooners delivered chorus hooks for club-banger anthems, and rappers repaid the favor by contributing hype-laden rhymes on the slow jams. The “get money” fixation of mainstream hip-hop was ascendant. Here again, Maxwell’s new tunes play as if from an alternate reality. There are no star turns by MCs on BLACKsummers’night. Neither will you hear any IRS-style itemizing of valuables. This is important, since the appeal of baby-makin’ music hinges on a certain universality—one that allows a slow-dancing couple to imagine itself as the subject of a song. “It’s already got my name on it. I don’t really need to beat you on the head with me,” Maxwell says. “Music is a service.”

Turns out the marketplace was hungry for some service-minded R&B. BLACKsummers’night hit the top of the Billboard 200 in its first week, and perhaps its success will spark a new movement. There are already signs that the digitized era of Auto-Tune vocals may be waning—with no less a trend-setter than Jay-Z proclaiming the pitch-bending fad over in a recent track titled “D.O.A.” (for “Death of Auto-Tune”). It’s good that the hip-hop icon joined the struggle against software’s grip on soul, though his protest song wasn’t totally satisfying. Should you be in search of more arousing material, look for the comeback kid.

NOTE: Check out the interview Seth Colter Walls did with Maxwell. Click here

Source

If you know someone who has not gotten their copy of BLACKsummersnight CD/DVD Deluxe, ask them what they are waiting on? But mostly, point them in the direction to put up their very on copy. There are so many ways!