Maxwell Alexander Fraser (14 June 1957 – 23 December 2022), better known by his stage name Maxi Jazz, was a British musician, rapper, singer, songwriter and DJ. He was the lead vocalist of British electronic band Faithless from 1995 to 2011 and 2015 to 2016.
Music career
Hip hop beginnings
Maxi Jazz was born Maxwell Alexander Fraser on 14 June 1957[1] in Brixton, South London.[2] He founded the Soul Food Café System as a DJ in 1984, having discovered hip hop a year earlier. He first aired the sound as a DJ calling it "In the Soul Kitchen with DJ Maxi Jazz" on pirate radio station Reach FM London from 1985 to 1986. He transferred this sound to pirate radio station LWR in 1987.
In 1989, the Soul Food Café Band was picked up by Tam Tam Records, which is the dance wing of Savage Records. Jazz founded Namu Records in 1992 to release the band's material in the form of three EPs and the band toured as a support act to various artists, including Jamiroquai in Amsterdam, Soul II Soul in Barcelona, Galliano in Switzerland, and Jason Rebello in Brazil. In 1996, Maxi Jazz and the Soul Food Cafe recorded and released the album Original Groovejuice Vol. 1 with Revco Records in Deptford, South London. After the band dissolved, Jazz worked throughout Europe, and took time out to collaborate with Jah Wobble on the Invaders of the Heart album, followed by live dates with the Wobble Collective.[citation needed]
Faithless
Jazz performing with Faithless in 2011
In 1995, Jazz met Rollo Armstrong in a studio and went on to form Faithless, together with Jamie Catto and Sister Bliss. As a Soka Gakkai Buddhist, his strong beliefs and the band's own strong individual beliefs contrast with the name 'Faithless', which was chosen during the writing of the song "Salva Mea". Armstrong had asked Jazz to write and sing on a dance track about frustration,[3] which was something to which Jazz could relate from his own experiences. The subject matter of Jazz's lyrics range from upbeat to melancholic. His work covered a range of personal and social issues, including current affairs and social commentary.[citation needed]
In 2009, he raised £1,440,000 for the UK charity Comic Relief by singing non stop for 24 hours.[citation needed]
Jazz celebrated his 50th birthday on 15 June 2007 in Hyde Park, London, with Faithless headlining the O2 Wireless Festival that evening.[4] In the encore, he was greeted by thousands of fans wishing him happy birthday.[5]
He performed and recorded with Faithless from their founding in 1995 until 2011. He re-joined the group in 2015 and 2016 while they performed under the Faithless 2.0 banner. His final live appearance with the band was at Ibiza Rocks on 31 August 2016.[citation needed]
Maxi Jazz and the E-Type Boys
In 2015, he began fronting a newly assembled band of musicians named Maxi Jazz & the E-Type Boys. Jazz provided lead vocals and also played guitar in the band. They made a number of festival appearances, including some at the same events at which Faithless were billed.[6]
Other
On 20 October 2018, he performed on stage as part of the Gatecrasher Classical event at Sheffield Arena, celebrating 25 years of the Gatecrasher brand.[7]
In 2022, Jazz provided vocals on the Vintage Culture single "Commotion" while under the guidance of music manager John Proctor at Total Artist Management .[8]
Motor sports
The Porsche 911 GT3 driven by Jazz
Jazz founded Maxi Jazz Racing in 2000 when he asked Rae Claydon to enter him in the Ford Fiesta Championship for the 2000 season,[9] but was only able to race occasionally due to his musical obligations.
Jazz died "peacefully in his sleep" at his home in South London, after a long illness,[15] on 23 December 2022 at the age of 65.[16] His funeral was held on 30 January 2023.[17]
Tributes
Faithless shared their tribute, "He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. He gave proper meaning and message to our music. He was also a lovely human being with time for everyone and a wisdom that was both profound and accessible. It was an honour and, of course, a true pleasure to work with him. He was a brilliant lyricist, a DJ, a Buddhist, a magnificent stage presence, car lover, endless talker, beautiful person, moral compass and genius."[18]Dido, sister of Rollo and a regular collaborator with Faithless tweeted her tribute, "RIP Maxi. It was an absolute honour to know you, be inspired by you, listen to you and sing with you. Your voice and words will never leave my head."[19]
On 28 May 2023, Crystal Palace supporter's group, the Holmesdale Fanatics, unveiled their tribute to Jazz, with a full stand tifo display of his face, the largest seen in English football, alongside lyrics from "God Is a DJ", reading "This is our church. This is where we heal our hurts".[20]
^ abOswald, Janelle (26 May 2013). "Maxi Jazz: Man of faith". archive.voice-online.co.uk. Archived from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
