Maze's Sound Hasn't Changed Since the 1970s

Ecstasy.
This was their third visit to Japan for a live performance, exactly 15 years after November 1989 and September 1994. Fifteen years ago, Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, who have since become a headliner at the 'Essence Music Festival,' a major American black music festival that didn't exist back then, filled the Cotton Club with their relaxed, laid-back funk. What one sees as 1 in 70,000 is here seen as 1 in 200. That alone is premium enough.



As the band members entered, a tremendous cheer erupted. The atmosphere was as if the entire audience had been waiting 15 years for Maze’s appearance. Surely, this joy was an accumulation of those 15 years.
The band's performance was flawless. Simply with drums and bass, they shaped Maze's groove, its waves. Over this, the funky keyboard and guitar riffs were layered with exquisite precision. And then, Frankie's vocals, like a seasoned silver. Just the intro to well-known songs like "Back In Stride" had the audience rising to their feet. During "Joy & Pain," the entire venue sang along to that chorus part, "Yeah, yeah, yeah." Every person in the Cotton Club was captivated by the Maze magic, united as one.

Maze's sound hasn't changed since the 1970s. It's a prime example of how an unchanging sound becomes a universal one. Personally, it was unequivocally the best band live performance I saw at the Cotton Club this year. Frankie Beverly – the King of Laid-Back Funk. Those who witnessed this could feel the happiest of feelings. (Tuesday, September 22, 2009, Cotton Club)
【September 26, 2009: Yoshioka Masaharu: The Soul Searcher】

Members
Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly
Frankie Beverly(vo,g), McKinley “Bug” Williams(per), Roame(per), Philip Woo(key), Vance Taylor(key), Jubu(g), Larry Kimpel(b), Chris Johnson(ds)