Stanley Maxwell Scores

School Is In Session Stanley Maxwell shows talent and restraint Thomas Pizzola Hartford Advocate review of performance at Zen Bar (6/11/04)

"The members of jazz/funk combo Stanley Maxwell do not need to use words in order to communicate. Instead, they speak to each other through their music. This musical correspondence was on display as the band grooved through a well-received set that left the people in attendance with a greater understanding of how to speak without using words."

"This musical communication helps the band gel as a unit, and it shows. The four-piece -- keyboardist Evan Green, saxophone player Eric DellaVecchia, bassist Mark Crino and drummer Andy Chatfield -- did an excellent job with their mainly vocals-free, jazz/funk hybrid. They have an uncanny ability to vibe off each other with some real neat improvisational passages. Fortunately, the improv doesn't smack of self-indulgence."

"Stanley Maxwell has found a way to avoid that trap. The songs are written ahead of time, but the band always leaves spots for improvisation. This is usually accomplished through musical cues in the song, or through hand signals. Each member has a chance to improvise if they feel like it."

"Most of the time they do. Each member displayed his chops as a soloist at least once during the set. These moments proved exhilarating as the musician just went for it. But thankfully, the band knew when not to milk it. They had an inherent ability to rein it in, which cut down on the aforementioned self-indulgence that usually wrecks a band like this."

"While each member of the band is talented in his own right, I was impressed with the rhythm section, particularly the drumming of Chatfield, whose playing style was a nice mixture of precision and understated power. He and bassist Crino work well in tandem providing a solid foundation for the rest of the band."