Robert Maxwell earned greater renown than Harpo Marx as a harpist, and his achievements justified the distinction. Throughout his career he produced numerous outstanding pop recordings that never allowed his classical studies and orchestral work to overshadow the results. Born in New York City to parents with no musical inclinations, he began playing the harp at ten and captured a scholarship from Lincoln High School to the Juilliard School of Music, where Giannini and Grandjany guided his training. At seventeen he became the youngest member of the National Symphony Orchestra, after which he presented solo recitals in both New York and Los Angeles while also appearing under the direction of Arturo Toscanini and Serge Koussevitsky.
Service in the Coast Guard supplied Maxwell’s initial major opportunity to reach popular audiences, casting him as an entertaining showman rather than a purely classical artist. His commanding officer, Rudy Vallée, organized performances for military personnel that taught him stage command and helped him present the harp as something less delicate and angelic. Around the same period he entered a competition at Los Angeles radio station KFI and received second place even though he could not attend the final round.
His résumé encompassed an extensive array of radio programs, screen appearances—most likely all for MGM—television broadcasts, and bookings in hotels and theaters. Viewers encountered him on programs hosted by Milton Berle, Bob Hope, and Morton Downey, as well as on Cavalcade of Stars; he also served as CBS’s summer substitute for Frank Sinatra. With his instrument fitted with electric lights, the visual impact proved striking.
Maxwell’s recordings stood out for their inventive sonic touches, yet these effects seldom crossed into excess or vulgarity. His overdubbing techniques were handled with finesse, and humorous touches appeared frequently. Although he mastered classical pieces and other idioms, his instinctive grasp of pop material accounted for his broad appeal. In his arrangements he consistently introduced fresh ideas, often accelerating the tempo of familiar standards until the results suggested rock rhythms. He wrote both “Ebb Tide” and “Shangri-La,” enduring exotic classics of which he produced multiple versions across the years.
