David Maxwell
MAXIMUM
BLUES PIANO
Tone Cool 1160
visit David's website
also available on amazon
Maximum enjoyment at minimal effort on your part, just slip this disc into your player and push the play button, better than an hour of straight ahead blues piano comes wafting, driving or pulsing out of your speakers, depending on the mood of the song David Maxwell is playing. Before you say I don't want just blues piano this is a blues album, peopled by some mighty fine players of all styles, who are given plenty of room to step out and take off on their own, but it is always the piano which brings the tune back to its focus. He takes us on a ramble of styles mixing boogie woogie, Chicago blues, the jump blues of Texas, an homage to the inimitable Professor Longhair and New Orleans, and much much more. There is a great emphasis on the diversity of blues styles, and David Maxwell shows that he is more than capable of handling them. His diversity here is not to relieve monotony as much as it is to show case this collection in its many forms and to show that he has mastered these many different styles. There is true substance in the playing on this disc. Most of the tunes he develops here are originals and he does a non-standard job on a couple of standards He will take the tune and develop his vision of the song and show us some other directions in which it could go. He does this particularly effectively on the slow blues of AFTER HOURS. But my personal favorite has to the slow intensity and burning of DEEP INTO IT. It isn't until you get to the seventh track that you realize that you've been engrossed in this disc and there are no vocals. David Maxwell's keyboards sing for themselves! Why is this his first disc as the leader?
Songs & writers and times - All songs by David Maxwell except where indicated.
1. Blues Don't Bother Me - 5:49
2. Breakdown on the Bayou - 4:58
3. After Hours - Avery Parrish - 7:12
4. Sister Laura Lee - 5:56
5. Down at P.J.'s Place 6:17
6. Honky Tonk Train - Meade Lux Lewis - 7:03
7. Heart Attack - 4:51
8. Deep Into It - 7:59
9. Walk the Walk - 3:57
10. Manhattan Max - 5:26 (Boppin' wit da Chippies)
11. Take Me On Home - 6:33
Players and Instruments
David Maxwell - Piano, Organ, and Arrangements
Ronnie Earl - Guitar (3,8,9), 1st Solo (1), additional Gtr. (4), Solo (11)
Duke Levine - Rhythm Guitar (1,2,4,10,11) 2nd Solo (1), Solo (4)
Kevin Barry - Guitar (6)
Marty Ballou - Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass (6)
Marty Richards - Drums and Percussion
Mickey Bones - Rubboard (2)
Darrell Nulisch - Vocals (7)
Scott Aruda - Trumpet and Horn Arrangements
Gordon Beadle - Tenor and Baritone Saxes
Mark Kaz Kazanoff - Tenor Sax, Solo (1)
Ray Green - Trombone