Since 2004 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in the first place.
Maxwell changed course in 1967, after a disastrous gig at south-side club Peyton Place, near 39th and Indiana. She sang “Misty,” the signature number of pop crooner Johnny Mathis, and her classical training was still audible in her carefully controlled, somewhat fussy performance, just as it is on “One Thin Dime.” The crowd weren’t having it, and they pelted Maxwell with beer bottles and oranges. One of the other acts that night—blues singer, comedian, and drag artist Wilbur “Hi-Fi” White—explained the problem to her. “Honey,” he said, “you ain’t got no soul.”
In 2011, Maxwell was booked on a side stage at the Chicago Blues Festival, but only one of the fest’s seven headlining sets featured a woman. In response, blues pianist Joan Gand convened the all-female “Women in the Blues” showcase at Reggies’ Rock Club, and Maxwell came aboard to host. It’s become a recurring event, with shows at Reggies’ and at SPACE in Evanston, and Maxwell has often been involved. During the 2013 Blues Festival, she cohosted a bus tour of Chicago soul and blues history. And in January 2014, she was honored by the Great Black Music Project at Northeastern Illinois University, which added her to its artist registry and released an interview with her as a podcast.
