Chattanooga Times Free Press - ChattanoogaNow
Maxwell and ladies bring Summers’ Tour ’17 to Memorial Auditorium
Maxwell — the artist credited with being a co- founder of the neo soul movement of the 1990s — brings his Summers’ Tour ’17 to Memorial Auditorium on Sunday night, June 4. Joining him will be Ledisi, Leela James and LaTina Webb.
Maxwell has managed to transfix music l overs for more t han two decades, releasing five studio albums since his 1996 debut album, “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite.” His 2009 Grammy- winning “BLACK-summers’ night” led to the release of single, “Pretty Wings,” which owned the top spot on the Hot R& B/ Hip- Hop Singles chart for four and a half months. That album landed on most critics’ Year’s Best lists and snared two Grammys.
Gerald Maxwell Rivera was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of a Haitian mother and a Puerto Rican father. He grew up singing in church, taught himself to play a variety of instruments and began composing music at age 17. Along with D’Angelo and Erykah Badu, Maxwell is credited with helping shape the neo soul sound.
He won Gra mmy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for “Pretty Wings” in 2002, Best R& B Album in 2010 for “BLACK summers’ night” and Best R&B Song this year for “Lake by the Ocean.”
LEDISI
Soulful singer- songwriter and New Orleans native, Ledisi is a celebrated R& B recording artist who caught the attention of Verve Music Group in 2007, while recording her third album, “Lost & Found.” The album earned her two Grammy nominations, including “Best New Artist” in 2008.
Ledisi performed on multiple occasions at the White House during the Obama administration. As a participant in Michelle Obama’s Turnaround Arts Program, she donates her time to encourage students to explore their possibilities through the arts.
LEELA JAMES
Leela James is an R&B and soul singer- songwriter. Around 2004, she was an opening act for The Black Eyed Peas and Macy Gray. She released a debut album, “A Change Is Gonna Come,” in 2005, for which she wrote most of the tracks.
Her fifth album, “Did It for Love,” was released in March. One of its singles, “Don’t Want You Back,” reached No. 1 on Bill- board’s Adult R&B Songs chart in April, becoming her highest-charting single ever.