Maxwell has never been afraid to take his time. The R&B singer-songwriter first found success as part of the neo-soul movement of the mid-’90s, alongside performers like D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu, and he’s always followed his own muse rather than any pop-music trends. That’s given him hit songs like “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder),” “Sumthin’ Sumthin,’” “Fortunate, “Pretty Wings” and the Kate Bush cover “This Woman’s Work,” but it’s also driven him to take long periods of time perfecting his ambitious studio albums.
Maxwell is currently in the midst of completing an epic trilogy, which he began in 2009 (after an eight-year hiatus from releasing new music) with BLACKsummers’night, continued with 2016’s blackSUMMERS’night, and is set to conclude with the final installment, Night, sometime next year. He recently released the single “Shame,” the first song off the long-awaited upcoming conclusion of the trilogy. “I was doing so much, while not doing that much,” he told Rolling Stone in 2016, describing his lengthy writing and recording process, while also joking that “I’ll be free!” following the release of Night. Given his history, though, Maxwell will almost certainly use that freedom to craft more complex, challenging music.
The Pearl at Palms, 8 p.m. Nov. 4, starting at $59 plus tax and fee. 702.944.3200
