Shawn Maxwell Originals II review by Wildy’s World
Published on October 16th, 2008
Shawn Maxwell – Originals II
2008, Dangerous Curve Productions
Shawn Maxwell is a teacher, composer, arranger and talented
multi-instrumentalist (Saxophone, Clarinet & Flute). He has
performed all over the world, and is a regular on the Chicago
jazz scene. His band, Matt Nelson (piano); Graham Czach
(bass) and Brandon Dickert (drums) is an incredibly tight and talented outfit that has assisted Maxwell masterfully in realizing the fullness of his musical vision. On Originals II, Maxwell continues to break new ground somewhere in the space between traditional and progressive jazz.
Originals II opens with Rice, a post-modern European sounding Jazz tune featuring Maxwell on saxophone. The real star of this tune though is the piano work, which is sublime. Year Three is one of the more interesting pieces here, revolving around a meandering flute lead …The bowed bass lead in the middle is something of a treat, and the pace certainly picks up in the second half…
My personal favorite is Working Dog, which picks up some of the flavors of 1970’s era New York City jazz. Working on a pizzicato melloton bass clarinet and trombone compete for supremacy
here…you can see Maxwell beginning to unfurl his creative branches a bit here. Mr. Strongbow is a very commercial offering of the sort you might hear as background on movies or TV. Leather may be the most ingenuous tune on Originals II, and shows great hope for Maxwell’s composition abilities.
Rating: 3.5 Stars (Out of 5)
