Maxi Jazz
Encyclopedia
Maxwell Alexander Fraser (born 14 June 1957 in Brixton
, London
), better known as Maxi Jazz, is an English
rapper
. He is best known as the lead vocalist of British
band Faithless
.
a year earlier. He transferred this sound to pirate radio station LWR in 1987.
In 1989, The Soul Food Cafe Band was picked up by Tam Tam Records, which is the dance wing of Savage Records), and the album Soul Food Café
was recorded. Maxi founded Namu Records in 1992 in order to release the band's material in the form of three EP's
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
. After the band dissolved, Maxi 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.
Maxi met Rollo Armstrong
in a studio and went on to form Faithless
, together with Jamie Catto
and Sister Bliss
. As a Soka Gakkai Buddhist
, Maxi's 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". Rollo had asked Maxi to write a song about frustration, which was something to which Maxi could relate from his own experiences. The subject matter of Maxi's lyrics range from upbeat to melancholic. His work covers a range of personal and social issues, including current affairs and social commentary.
In 2006, Maxi provided the vocals for the hit Tiësto
track "Dance4life
". He also sang alongside Robbie Williams
on the single "My Culture
" from the collaborative album 1 Giant Leap
.
Maxi celebrated his 50th birthday on June 15, 2007 in Hyde Park, London by headlining the O2 Wireless Festival 2007. In the encore he was greeted by thousands of fans wishing him happy birthday.
's Vroom Vroom
motoring show. He owns a Subaru Impreza P1
, a Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000
, a Ford Fiesta Zetec S,a Ford Sierra Cosworth
and a Marcos LM500 R
.
Maxi founded Maxi Jazz Racing in 2000 when he asked Rae Claydon to enter him in the Ford Fiesta Championship for the 2000 season but was only able to race occasionally due to his musical obligations.
On Sunday 9 December 2001, Maxi was involved in a serious car accident, causing several of Faithless
's UK tour dates to be postponed. In 2005, he raced a Ginetta
, and in 2006 and 2007 has been racing a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.
, in the London Borough of Lambeth
and supports Crystal Palace football club
. He advocates the work of the Burma Campaign UK
. He is also a Buddhist
.
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
), better known as Maxi Jazz, is an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
. He is best known as the lead vocalist of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band Faithless
Faithless
Faithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...
.
Biography
Maxi founded The Soul Food Cafe System as a DJ in 1984, having discovered hip hopHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
a year earlier. He transferred this sound to pirate radio station LWR in 1987.
In 1989, The Soul Food Cafe Band was picked up by Tam Tam Records, which is the dance wing of Savage Records), and the album Soul Food Café
Soul Food Café
Maxi Jazz founded The Soul Food Cafe System as a DJ in 1984, having discovered hip hop a year earlier.In 1989 The Soul Food Cafe Band was picked up by Tam Tam Records, which is the dance wing of Savage Records), and the album Soul Food Café was recorded....
was recorded. Maxi founded Namu Records in 1992 in order to release the band's material in the form of three EP's
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and the band toured as a support act to various artists, including Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai
Jamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
; Soul II Soul
Soul II Soul
Soul II Soul are a British group that was created in London in 1988. They are best known for their 1989 UK chart-topper and U.S. Top 5 hit, "Back to Life ".-Career:...
in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
; Galliano in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
; and Jason Rebello
Jason Rebello
Jason Rebello is a British jazz pianist, currently part of Sting's live and studio band, who has recorded a handful of albums under his own name. His debut album, A Clearer View was produced by Wayne Shorter....
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. After the band dissolved, Maxi worked throughout Europe, and took time out to collaborate with Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble
Jah Wobble is an English bass guitarist, singer, poet and composer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but left the band after two albums...
on the Invaders Of The Heart album, followed by live dates with the Wobble Collective.
Maxi met Rollo Armstrong
Rollo Armstrong
Rollo Armstrong is one half of the music producers/remixers team Rollo and Sister Bliss and is a founding member of the electronic music group Faithless.-Early life:...
in a studio and went on to form Faithless
Faithless
Faithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...
, together with Jamie Catto
Jamie Catto
Jamie Catto is a former and founding member of Faithless. He was the ballad singer/songwriter, and became Art Director and Video Director of the band before leaving in 1999 to form the double-Grammy nominated, global music and film project 1 Giant Leap. His last album with Faithless was Sunday 8PM...
and Sister Bliss
Sister Bliss
Sister Bliss is a British keyboardist, record producer, DJ, composer and songwriter. In the studio she is best known for her work with Rollo Armstrong, particularly as part of the now disbanded dance group Faithless.She started music at the age of five, when she learned how to play the piano...
. As a Soka Gakkai Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
, Maxi's 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". Rollo had asked Maxi to write a song about frustration, which was something to which Maxi could relate from his own experiences. The subject matter of Maxi's lyrics range from upbeat to melancholic. His work covers a range of personal and social issues, including current affairs and social commentary.
In 2006, Maxi provided the vocals for the hit Tiësto
Tiësto
Tijs Michiel Verwest, , known as Tiësto , is a Dutch musician, DJ and record producer of electronic dance music. Although he has used many aliases in the past, he is best known for his work as DJ Tiësto...
track "Dance4life
Dance4life (song)
-12" Vinyl:-Limited Edition:-Charts:The song debuted at #21 in the Netherlands, to peak for 5 consecutive weeks at number 3. It stayed eleven weeks in the top ten....
". He also sang alongside Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
on the single "My Culture
My Culture
"My Culture" is a song by British trip-hop duo 1 Giant Leap released as the first single from their debut album, 1 Giant Leap in the spring of 2002. The track features vocals from Maxi Jazz and Robbie Williams. The song became a top ten hit in the United Kingdom and it managed to chart inside the...
" from the collaborative album 1 Giant Leap
1 Giant Leap (album)
- Personnel :*Horace Andy – Vocals*Asha Bhosle – Vocals*Goetz Botzenhardt – Mixing Engineer*Duncan Bridgeman – Guitar , Bass, Flute, Guitar, Drums, Keyboards, Programming, Vocals, Producer, Engineer, Mixing, Group Member...
.
Maxi celebrated his 50th birthday on June 15, 2007 in Hyde Park, London by headlining the O2 Wireless Festival 2007. In the encore he was greeted by thousands of fans wishing him happy birthday.
Cars and racing
Maxi is very fond of cars and his collection was featured on Sky OneSky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
's Vroom Vroom
Vroom Vroom
See also Vrooom Vrooom, a live album by King CrimsonSee also TapirVroom Vroom was a British television series. shown on Sky One. The presenters were Brendan Coogan , Jon Desborough , Lisa Rogers , and Emma Parker Bowles...
motoring show. He owns a Subaru Impreza P1
Subaru Impreza
Introduced in November 1993, the Impreza was offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions and as a four-door sedan/saloon or five-door station wagon/estate. According to a Motor Trend article written March 1992 on page 26, the name of Subaru's new compact was, initially, to be...
, a Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000
Ford Escort (European)
The Mark I Ford Escort was introduced in the United Kingdom at the end of 1967, making its show debut at Brussels Motor Show in January 1968. It replaced the successful long running Anglia. The car was presented in continental Europe as a product of Ford's European operation...
, a Ford Fiesta Zetec S,a Ford Sierra Cosworth
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was a high-performance version of the Ford Sierra. It was the result of a Ford Motorsport project with the purpose of producing an outright winner for Group A racing in Europe.- Development :...
and a Marcos LM500 R
Marcos Mantis GT
The original Marcos Mantis is a sports car produced by the British car company Marcos. It was formally introduced in 1968 though production appears to have got off to a slow start. In February 1971 Marcos announced that the car could now also be purchased in component form, at a domestic market...
.
Maxi founded Maxi Jazz Racing in 2000 when he asked Rae Claydon to enter him in the Ford Fiesta Championship for the 2000 season but was only able to race occasionally due to his musical obligations.
On Sunday 9 December 2001, Maxi was involved in a serious car accident, causing several of Faithless
Faithless
Faithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...
's UK tour dates to be postponed. In 2005, he raced a Ginetta
Ginetta Cars
Ginetta Cars is a Garforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire based British specialist builder of racing and sports cars.-20th century:Ginetta was founded in 1958 by the four Walklett brothers in Woodbridge, Suffolk...
, and in 2006 and 2007 has been racing a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
Porsche 911 GT3
The Porsche 911 GT3 is a higher performance version of the Porsche 911 sports car. It is the latest in a line of high performance models, beginning with the 1973 911 RS...
in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB.
Personal life
He lives in West NorwoodWest Norwood
West Norwood is a place in the London Borough of Lambeth.It is primarily a residential suburb of south London but with some light industry near Knights Hill in the south....
, in the London Borough of Lambeth
London Borough of Lambeth
The London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
and supports Crystal Palace football club
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
. He advocates the work of the Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK
Burma Campaign UK founded in 1991 is a London based Non Governmental Organisation that aims to achieve the 'restoration of human rights and democracy in Burma . BCUK campaigns on behalf of the Burmese pro-democracy movement and is the largest campaigning organisation for Burma in Europe...
. He is also a Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
.