Track-by-Track: Shawn Maxwell Describes His Album ‘Frenetic Domain’

As a musician and composer, Shawn Maxwell demonstrates a special kind of loyalty to jazz composition and the great saxophonists who have paved the way for artists like him. Maxwell continues to pay homage on his brand new album, Frenetic Domain. Released on March 13th, the record features seven brand new compositions. Maxwell worked closely on this album with classical alto saxophonist Chika Inoue.

Through 14 albums now, Maxwell has developed his own distinctive style of writing and arrangement. It’s all rooted within the traditions of jazz that form the foundation of his sound. It’s both important for him to branch out, while also not straying too far from the music that truly inspired him as a youngster. Maxwell’s albums have also received a lot of credit for their diversity. You hear plenty of different influences, including rock, funk, hip-hop, R&B, and classical.

Maxwell has spent over 25 years performing within the Chicago music scene, while also touring the country. His albums have featured many working groups, quartets, quintets, and ensembles. Since his debut album in 2005, Maxwell has remained focused on improving his own level of musicianship, while never making the same piece of music twice. His music is free-spirited, and he has gone to great lengths to never operate inside a comfortable set of rules and customs. To coincide with the release of Frenetic Domain, Maxwell joins us for an exclusive Track-by-Track rundown of the album, diving into the inspirations of these compositions.

“I am very excited for the public to hear this album. Chika and I have been great friends for a while now. The concept of this album began with me jokingly suggesting that she should start improvising. As a classical saxophonist, that’s just not her bag. Eventually, it turned into the idea of taking her, the classical saxophonist, and placing her alongside myself, a jazz saxophonist, and my more modern jazz approach.”

1. “Cats Are Gods”

“Even before I started composing for this album, I knew I wanted to show the similarities and differences between our two styles and approaches. As I was beginning to compose the first tune, ‘Cats Are Gods,’ I happened to watch my cat go from walking around nice and calm to acting very crazy within the matter of just a few minutes. That inspired me to approach this tune in the same manner. It starts nice and calm with Chika stating the melody in a beautiful classical approach. Then, like your typical cat, things get kind of crazy and different. We go back and forth a few times with the style, again, like a normal cat. Nils Higdon, who plays percussion on this track, is what I would call a cat enthusiast who often states that ‘cats are gods.’ So, this track is dedicated to him.”

2. “The Last 10 Kilometers”

“It is probably safe to say most Americans do not think of distance in kilometers. I only think this way because I am a runner who participates in marathons. A marathon is 26.2 miles. 10 km equals 6.2 miles. As most runners will tell you, the hardest and most crucial part of a marathon is the last 10 km/6.2 miles. It is here that your body really starts to fatigue both physically and mentally. You need to control this fatigue and push through to the end, while also not injuring yourself, because your body just wants you to stop.

“I composed this tune with that in mind. The rhythm section continues a baseline which resembles a pace that you are trying to keep, while other parts of the song show this fatigue as it is constantly battling itself until you finally reach the end.”

Chika Inoue, photo by Michael Barton

3. “8 bit sounds”

“I grew up playing video games on the original Nintendo NES system in the late 1980s. Super Mario Bros., The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Punch Out!! are just a few of those games that had what they call 8-bit sound. I composed this track to feel very much like a video game. The tempos, feelings and overall vibe change as you progress from level to level.”

4. “Reed Tire Earth”

“This composition has many different possible meanings, depending on where you are coming from. Most music educators would most likely agree that younger clarinet and saxophone students use the same reed on their mouthpiece over and over. The reed vibrates and is what makes the sound. The condition of the reed will also affect how you sound. When students overuse the same reed over and over, it becomes thin and doesn’t sound great. A reed rotation helps to keep these reeds from wearing out, making the sound better and performing to be much easier.”

Shawn Maxwell ‘Frenetic Domain’ album artwork

5. “Frenetic Random Activity Periods”

“Shortly after my cat influenced the first track, I noticed my dog doing something similar. After a quick Google search, I found out that those moments when a dog gets what is affectionately called ‘the zoomies’ is officially called frenetic random activity periods. Very similar to cats are gods in the inspiration; this reflects my dog, Marvel, and how she blows off steam from time to time.”

6. “Profound Thoughts At 3AM”

“I’m willing to bet I am not the only one who randomly wakes up in the dead of the night and can’t go back to sleep because my mind is racing. Profound thoughts at 3 am is exactly that. A conversation between two saxophones and a piano that just won’t stop, even when you want/need to go to sleep. I wanted this tune to sound calm and pretty while also a little unnerving because it seems like it just won’t stop.”

Shawn Maxwell, photo by Michael Barton

7. “Public Domain Hit In 2138”

“Currently, we are seeing a lot of songs, movies and fictional characters become what they call the public domain. It’s different for everything, but usually a copyright is held on these for the life of the creator, plus so many years after their passing. The title playfully refers to me living a very long life, but long after my passing, this tune becoming a huge hit.”