SHAWN MAXWELL
Genres: Classic Fusion, Hard Bop, Progressive Big Band, Nu Jazz, Eclectic Fusion • United States

To a remarkable degree, Shawn Maxwell has the urge—a quality fundamental to those who create improvised music on a nightly basis. In this way, it is not enough to simply create, but the need to innovate that guides each note. His art lies in addressing the ordinary modalities of life in an extraordinary way, placing notes in their most complimentary places with precision and enthusiasm. Of course, there’s the way he plays. Maxwell’s style was built around swelling harmonic runs while painting complex melodies across an expansive canvas. Each harmony he creates is purposeful in form as well as function. By all accounts, Shawn Maxwell formed his style early on the tough and tumultuous streets of Joliet, Illinois. From the time a saxophone first touched his lips, Maxwell knew that music was his calling. With conviction and abilities that belied his age, it was equally clear to others that Shawn read more...