David Maxwell
I have known about Maxwell for almost as long as I've been listing to blues. As it turns out, he was rooming with Dawna Rae on Mission Hill in Roxbury when Johnny met Dawna, and he was already famous in these parts. I'm sure to him we were snot-nosed kids. Eventually, over time, our paths crossed enough and our friendship grew. Dave was always open and friendly with me. And he always asked me how Ronnie Earl was doing. That's how Dave was as a person, very knowing and extremely caring.
It would be hard to guess as to how many times I saw and heard David Maxwell play. In the days when I'd see two or three shows a night invariably he'd be a part of the show, either as bandleader for someone touring through town (as in the case of Otis Rush, Nightstage) or leading his own band. And when I finally got hip to just how great a musician he was, then I'd go to support him and hear him play.
My image of Dave is one of my favorites of any musician. It was taken at a show at Regattabar, and he's being lit from directly above his head. I remember composing the shot in my head.... slowing down the shutter speed to capture movement in his hands without his head showing too much motion. In the days of shooting film there was guess work involved, nor instantaneously checking to see if I got 'the shot'. I made a handful of images using these settings and was happy to see this one amongst my attempts.
I remember the day I asked David to autograph my copy. He was playing with Michael Williams at a local ski area on a benefit. As was typical of Dave he gave me a "sure man" and signed my copy. I also offered him one, which he proceeded to set on top of the closest PA. It was hot that day and I thought for sure that his copy would be ruined sitting in the sun so I went back and checked on it, thinking that maybe Dave forgot it. It was gone.
Some time later, could even have been a year r more, at a show Dave pulled me aside and told me of how much he loved that image, and how he put it up in his house and that it meant a lot to him that I gave him a copy. I can only Dave knew of all that he meant to that snot-nosed kid hanging around his kitchen on Mission Hill.
It would be hard to guess as to how many times I saw and heard David Maxwell play. In the days when I'd see two or three shows a night invariably he'd be a part of the show, either as bandleader for someone touring through town (as in the case of Otis Rush, Nightstage) or leading his own band. And when I finally got hip to just how great a musician he was, then I'd go to support him and hear him play.
My image of Dave is one of my favorites of any musician. It was taken at a show at Regattabar, and he's being lit from directly above his head. I remember composing the shot in my head.... slowing down the shutter speed to capture movement in his hands without his head showing too much motion. In the days of shooting film there was guess work involved, nor instantaneously checking to see if I got 'the shot'. I made a handful of images using these settings and was happy to see this one amongst my attempts.
I remember the day I asked David to autograph my copy. He was playing with Michael Williams at a local ski area on a benefit. As was typical of Dave he gave me a "sure man" and signed my copy. I also offered him one, which he proceeded to set on top of the closest PA. It was hot that day and I thought for sure that his copy would be ruined sitting in the sun so I went back and checked on it, thinking that maybe Dave forgot it. It was gone.
Some time later, could even have been a year r more, at a show Dave pulled me aside and told me of how much he loved that image, and how he put it up in his house and that it meant a lot to him that I gave him a copy. I can only Dave knew of all that he meant to that snot-nosed kid hanging around his kitchen on Mission Hill.