I've only seen Maxwell live on stage once, back in the 1990s at Radio City Music Hall. Me and 5000 screaming black chicks! He was pretty good but it was sort of hard to enjoy given the circumstances…
He took a seven year hiatus back in 2002 but on his return his days as simple hearthrob were over and no less an authority than Jim Farber of New York Daily News considered his return blacksummernights the album of 2009.
Me? I was still put off by the first time I saw him but was planning to check the square jawed stud the next time he played. Summer Nights 2 is expected later this year and a ini-summer tour was in place when news dropped that Maxwell had cancelled it due to vocal swelling and hemorrhaging.
Maxwell's press release was calming enough but hemorrhaging doesn't just read ominous (that double "r" is a devil) but Adele cancelled a tour at the height of her career last year and John Mayer is still out of action.
Maxwell promises a full tour later this year… here is hoping.