Maximum Blues

David Maxwell released his debut solo album, Maximum Blues, last December 29th, and it's an instant classic. This is a performer who has stroked the ivories in over 50 major studio sessions. He's played with everybody, and some well-known greats won't tour without him on keyboards. He can play it all, Honky-Tonk, Boogie-Woogie, New Orleans' style, but the Blues is his calling.

It's interesting and appealing when a back-up musician steps to the front and is dazzling. Maxwell, believe me, is dazzling. His slow Blues (download "Down at P.J.'s Place") is so good it creeps up your spine and makes the little hairs on the back of your neck stand up; so good it makes you holler and moan. Oh, god. This is good Blues. Give me more of this medicine, it takes me somewhere else. I turned the surround-sound speakers up and almost slid right out of my chair. Mmmm.

Then I dialed-up "Deep Into It," with Ronnie Earl on electric guitar, and came right back up again; fortified; energized and ready for trouble, or love. "Walk the Walk" finished me off completely and took me right over the top. That's right. It's that good. Buy it now.