333maxwell - Walking In The Rain

Hear The Track Here

If awards were given for being community minded, then certainly 333maxwell would be one of the main contenders; this is a man who not only makes great music but backs it up with some hefty support (writing reviews on all the CC competitions for example) on various Soundclick forums. Yeah but we all do that, why should this be so special? From what I see, most people who do come to the forums do so in a drive-by fashion. Some of the forums snag people for considerably longer but even then attention span is measured in dragonfly years. Very few individuals have the will (and yes the time) so when it happens consistently, it needs to be pointed out for a nice bit of kudos. God knows there are few 'perks' in this lark.

Being English I am an expert on rain, walking still puzzles me, but everything there is to know about rain I have soaked up. Also, like most English people, I can't abide the ******* stuff, and I would walk through hot coals rather than go for a walk in the damn stuff. The music of Chas Holman (aka 333maxwell) however, I am up for just about whenever but more than anything else, when he is on his 30's/40's/50's jazz road. Almost all my favourite 333maxwell are in this mode and so is Walking In The Rain, despite it's Pop billing. About the only thing that is pop about it is the MacCartney tinged vocals and bass playing.

Certainly the instrumental sound (especially the brass) is period perfect, exactly the sound that coloured the early days of mainstream (ie big band) jazz. It's in the level of songwriting though that takes my breath away. As much as I dislike much of the vapidity Sir Paul foists on us there is no doubt he is a talented and skilled musician, as is our friend Chas Holman. What comes across on Walking In The Rain is the similarity between these two musicians who - I contend - need to make a track together. Macca and Maxxa, has a ring to it doesn't it? As we enter the final month of this year (with my awards review being very, very close) there is no doubt that 333maxwell are going to figure in it prominently because of the endless string of Must Have's this year. And here's another one.

MUST HAVE faultless period jazz.