blackSUMMERS'night [B&N Exclusive]

by Maxwell

Overview

BlackSUMMERS'night begins the way BLACKsummers'night ends: with a riveting groove in need of an extended 12" version. Like the instrumental finale of the album that preceded it, which now sounds like a set-up, "All the Ways Love Can Feel" is a dynamic and deliberate soul, jazz, and funk fusion, neatly interlaced and enlivened with Kenneth Whalum III's saxophone and Keyon Harrold's trumpet. The grain in Maxwell's voice evinces the reality: the seven years that passed between his Grammy-winning 2009 album and this follow-up, at one point anticipated in 2011. There's an extra texture and richness in his voice -- it sometimes strains with purpose but never falters -- adding tension to these songs detailing a love that ultimately eludes his grasp. As laid out in "Lost," a bluesy dirge that resembles nothing else in his past despite being made with longtime collaborator Stuart Matthewman, he pleads for his lost love while witnessing that she's a happily married mother. The songs drawn from earlier scenes are relatively general. On the brighter side, there's the carefree rush of a new relationship, and then healing is sought, freedom is felt in surrendering, and contentment is reached in settling down. Amid or following all that, there are breakdowns in communication and cracks in the foundation. The latter is handled most deftly in "Fingers Crossed," where Maxwell lets loose one of those indelible hooks seemingly crafted off the top of his dome. After the final verse, as an eight-member support crew -- including pianist Robert Glasper -- plays out in dazzling form, Maxwell plainly speaks, "This is just for you," and it hits as hard as any other line. At once, it's among the prettiest, most complex, and tensest songs in Maxwell's catalog. While the album is not as fluid as BLACKsummers'night and has a couple frayed ends, it includes a high quantity of open-hearted ballads and variable-tempo jams that sparkle with indisputable power. Each one is supremely sculpted. Their decreased vocal smoothness and increased rhythmic friction are major factors in the set's allure. ~ Andy Kellman

Product Details

Release Date:	07/01/2016
Label:	Columbia
UPC:	0889853267316

Tracks

Disc 1

1. All the Ways Love Can Feel
2. The Fall

Disc 2

3. III
4. Lake by the Ocean

Disc 3

5. Fingers Crossed
6. Hostage
7. 1990x
8. Gods

Disc 4

9. Lost
10. Of All Kind
11. Listen Hear
12. Night

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Maxwell   Primary Artist
Shedrick Mitchell   Bass,Organ,Piano,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Derrick Hodge   Bass,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Mark Colenburg   Drums
Robert Glasper   Piano,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Jermaine Parrish   Drums
Hod David   Bass,Drums,Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Keyon Harrold   Trumpet
Kenneth Whalum   Saxophone
Travis Sayles   Bass,Keyboards,Synthesizer
LaTina Webb   Vocals (Background)
Darryl "Lil Man" Howell   Drums

Technical Credits

Shedrick Mitchell   Composer
Musze   Composer,Producer
Wayne Trevisani   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Mike Pela   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Stuart Matthewman   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer
Hod David   Composer,Producer,Instrumentation
Keyon Harrold   Horn Arrangements
Kenneth Whalum   Horn Arrangements
Jesse Gladstone   Engineer
Tom Coyne   Mastering
Brandon Carter   Cinematography
Travis Sayles   Composer,Drum Programming
Eric Johnson   Photography
Randy Merrill   Mastering
Julian Peploe   Design
Julian Schratter   Multimedia Design