David Maxwell

Pianist David Maxwell participated in Boston's blues community as an accompanying musician from the closing years of the 1960s onward, yet it was not until the 1990s that he took the helm of his ensemble and issued recordings bearing his own moniker. He drew initial musical direction from figures such as Spann, Sunnyland Slim, and Pinetop Perkins, while also absorbing the sounds preserved on discs by Big Maceo, Ray Charles, and Memphis Slim; during the latter part of the 1960s he forged a personal connection with Otis Spann, the enduring keyboardist in Muddy Waters' group. Over subsequent years Maxwell provided support for numerous distinguished artists, among them Freddie King for a two-year period early in the 1970s, Bonnie Raitt during 1974 and 1975 at a time when she remained based in Boston, and James Cotton spanning 1977 through 1979. In the 1990s he accompanied Otis Rush on travels through Europe and Japan, and across his career he has shared stages with a multitude of others including John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rogers, Paul Oscher, Hubert Sumlin, Bob Margolin, John Primer, and Ronnie Earl. His contributions appear on numerous recordings by these associates, notably including Cotton's 1997 award-winning Deep in the Blues which secured a Grammy. Additionally, his playing features in the film score for Fried Green Tomatoes alongside longtime Boston musicians Ronnie Earl and Peter Wolf. The pianist's inaugural album issued by Tone-Cool, titled Maximum Blues Piano, comprises a set of wordless compositions that highlight several seasoned performers from the local Boston circuit: Ronnie Earl and Duke Levine handling guitar duties, Kaz Kazanoff and Gordon Beadle on saxophones, along with drummer Marty Richards and bassist Marty Ballou. Traces of his various inspirations surface across the selections, with Pete Johnson evident in "Down at A.J.'s Place" and Otis Spann in "Deep Into It."