Maxwell Unleashes Heartfelt Sensitivity

Maxwell, the sultriest and most talented of the new generation of soul singers, earned a professional last name after a scorching set at the Greek Theatre on Sunday that left the sold-out crowd screaming his name. He should henceforth be referred to as Maxwell Slim--as in Iceberg.

Not that the Brooklyn native, with his sharp suits, soulful coos and good looks, necessarily needs to be compared to the legendary mack-daddy. Despite his libidinous lyrics and pelvic thrusts, Maxwell is too sensitive to be a true playboy--when he stopped the show to thank the women in the audience, it wasn’t for buying his records, but for being truly divine creatures who bring out the best tendencies in mankind.

If heartfelt sensitivity is one key to his success, moments later he displayed the other one, as he launched into a beautiful version of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work”--his glorious falsetto.

As his voice soared through the air, he evoked visions of the singer whom he most resembles--Marvin Gaye. It’s one thing to riff, but it’s another to find different melodies within all those high notes. Maxwell’s tones moved quickly past words to reach the heart of divine sentiment.

No matter what song he performed from his “Urban Hang Suite” album, from “Welcome” and “Reunion” to “Dancewitme” (with stage production and a backup band that make him the only singer around who could possibly take out R. Kelly in terms of live spectacle), he proved that a whisper can sometimes be more powerful than a scream.