Concert Preview: Maxwell & Jill Scott

Music can forge a deeper connection with others or move us to action. As powerful as a driving beat or symphonic harmony can be when flowing through the speakers in our home or through the ear buds of our iPods, the feeling is amplified when the music is experienced live in concert. We connect with the artist on another level. Get to hear the stories behind each song.

I’ve attended some really memorable concerts. Concerts ranging from folksy to funktified. From soulful to the sublime. However, to date, hands down, the most impressive concert performance I’ve experienced was Maxwell’s Black Summer’s Night Tour last summer. I’d always liked Maxwell, a soulful crooner with chiseled features and an incredibly sexy sound. His vocal abilities range from his signature, throaty baritone to his skillful mastery of falsetto not many female vocalists can achieve.

Maxwell’s return to the music scene after an 8-year absence was highly anticipated. He returned with a brand new look. Gone was the just-tumbled-out-of-bed hair and monochromatic silk suit. His new look was glamorous, polished: retro-sexy-cool. His sound captured what we love most about vintage soul while remaining undeniably current.

Maxwell doesn’t ‘sing’ during a concert. Instead, stories of life, love, and his personal experiences pour from his very soul. We are all there for the ride, transported to THAT place. The place in his life that led him to pen the words he couldn’t say in a failed relationship. Or to the place in ours when we couldn’t find the precise words to say.

I have not seen Jill Scott live. I have seen and heard recordings of her live performances. This critically-acclaimed Neo-soul songstress reveals her heart in nearly every song she sings. Sharing raw, bleeding emotions that frequently mirror our own. She reminds us how dizzying, frenetic, beautiful, life-changing love can be. Yet she never lets us forget how important it is that we love ourselves, even if that means letting go.

Maxwell and Jill Scott kick off a summer tour in Cleveland, OH on Friday, May 21st at Quicken Loans Arena. Watch the video of Maxwell’s latest single, Fistful of Tears below. Check here to see if the tour will hit your town this summer. The tickets on this one may seem a bit pricey. The experience and memories will be well worth it.

Note: This is definitely ‘grown folks’ music. Leave the kiddies at home for this one.