Accompanied by his New Tomorrow band plus special guests, saxophonist Shawn Maxwell presents captivating original tunes on his latest release, Music In My Mind
Chicago-based reed maven Shawn Maxwell
takes listeners on a jazz journey with his brand-new CD, Music In My Mind
Joined by his band New Tomorrow on this latest CD, Music In My Mind,Maxwell presents an excellent sampler of his far-reaching capabilities as a bandleader, and highlights the stellar contributions of his musical cohorts. The saxophonist/clarinetist/flutist is joined by New Tomorrow stalwarts Victor Garcia on trumpet and flugelhorn, Matt Nelson on piano and keyboards, Junius Paul on acoustic and electric bass, and Phil Beale on drums.
The core New Tomorrow band is supplemented on this fresh offering by special guests, including vocalist Dee Alexander, trumpeters Chad McCullough and Corey Wilkes, electric bassists Patrick Mulcahy and Tim Seisser, vibraphonist Stephen Lynerd, and drummer/percussionist Kalyan Pathak.
The Joliet, Illinois-born Shawn Maxwell was exposed to a wide variety of music from his youngest years; he recalls that hearing Pete Fountain made him want to play the clarinet. It was love at first note—as soon as Shawn picked up an instrument, he knew he wanted to pursue a life in music. As he discovered more about jazz in high school, he realized he’d found his musical home.
Maxwell has been a mainstay of the Chicago jazz scene since his high school days. Critic Neil Tesser has described his tone in glowing terms: "His alto timbre sits in a lineage exemplified by past giants like Jackie McLean and Eric Dolphy, and by such latter-day players as Arthur Blythe and Steve Slagle."
But Maxwell can’t be pigeonholed as solely a Chicago musician. The saxophonist has steadily developed a broad following far beyond his Midwest roots, starting with the release of his first album in 2004. He maintains a busy national and international touring schedule, and has gigged and recorded with a quartet and a 10-tet, Shawn Maxwell’s Alliance, as well as with New Tomorrow.
Maxwell has been lauded for his composing skills from the get-go, and he acknowledges finding inspiration in a diverse lineup that includes Guns N’ Roses, Duke Ellington, Art Pepper and Cannonball Adderley. Writing music always seemed like a natural creative outlet to the saxophonist, who notes, “As jazz musicians, we’re composers every time we take a solo.”
“He Gone”: Introspective and mellow, grounded by the spare, intense drumwork and ethereal flute. “Our Princess is in Another Castle” is frisky and engaging, with a hypnotic beat. It’s a treat to hear how singer Dee Alexander shines in this setting.
The title track, “Music In My Mind,” bursts with fun and creativity, hinting at classically inspired themes. Check out the leader’s exciting saxophone work, as well as Victor Garcia’s shimmering flugelhorn solo.
With its brilliant writing, sax styling and energy, there’s something about “Glamasue” that evokes but never imitates Arthur Blythe on the cusp of the 1980s. There’s an engaging development of tension and tempo, driven by the depth of Tim Seisser’s electric bass.
With Music In My MindShawn Maxwell proves once again that he is in the front line among today’s most versatile and creative jazz talents. Expect to be surprised and delighted by his music for years to come.
1 Our Princess is in Another Castle 5:15
2 Music In My Mind 6:38
3 Untitled Tune #1 1:45
4 Maxwell's House 4:01
5 Herding Happiness 4:28
6 He Gone 4:34
7 King Bill 4:00
8 Another Monday 6:59
9 Glamasue 6:31
10 Snow Snow 4:34
Dee Alexander - Voice (1,2,4)
Victor Garcia - Trumpet/flugelhorn (2,8)
Chad Mccullough - Trumpet/flugelhorn (1,3,4,5,9)
Corey Wilkes - Trumpet (6,10)
Matt Nelson - Piano/rhodes
Patrick Mulcahy - Electric Bass (6,10)
Junius Paul - Electric & Acoustic Bass (1,2,4,5,7,8)
Tim Seisser - Electric Bass (3,9)
Phil Beale - Drums
Stephen Lynerd - Vibraphone (5)
Kalyan Pathak - Percussion (7)
Produced by Shawn Maxwell & Nick Eipers
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Nick Eipers
Recorded at Shirk Studios, December 12-14, 2017
Assistant Engineer: Suzie Calarco
Mixed & Mastered at Crann Darach, Chicago, IL
Cover images by Franco Lovisolo & John Bishop
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
Upcoming Events
May-June 2018
May 25 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Glendale Jazz Festival, 424 Sappington Rd
St Louis, MO 63122 United States + Google Map
Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow performs at the Glendale Jazz Festival
May 26 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Westsylvania Jazz & Blues Festival, N 7th St
Indiana, PA 15702 United States + Google Map
Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow performs at Westsylvania Jazz & Blues Festival
May 31 @ 8:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Constellation, 3111 n. Western
Chicago, IL 60618 United States + Google Map
Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow celebrates the release of their new album on the Origin label.
June 2018
June 7 @ 8:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Black Dolphin, 1813 Grand Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64108 United States + Google Map
Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow celebrates the release of their new album at Black Dolphin in Kansas City
June 8 @ 8:00 pm - 10:30 pm
Cafe Paradiso, 101 N Main st
Fairfield, IA United States + Google Map
Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow performs celebrating the release of their new album.
June 9 @ 8:00 pm
The Washington, 306 Washington Street
Burlington, IA 52601 United States + Google Map
Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow celebrates the release of their new album at The Washington
June 15 @ 9:30 pm - June 16 @ 1:00 am
Andy’s Jazz Club, 11 E Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60654 United States + Google Map
Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow celebrates the release of their new album at Andy's Jazz Club
June 16 @ 9:30 pm - June 17 @ 1:00 am
Andy’s Jazz Club, 11 E Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60654 United States + Google Map
Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow celebrates the release of their new album at Andy's Jazz Club
June 20 @ 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
An Die Music, 409 N Charles St
Baltimore, MD 21201 United States + Google Map
Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow celebrates the release of their new album at An Die Music
June 21 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The Shrine, 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd
New York City, NY United States + Google Map
Shawn Maxwell's New Tomorrow performs celebrating the release of their new album
Media Contact
Jim Eigo
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