The music industry has praised the main singer of the British dance group Faithless, with one British DJ describing him as “an extraordinary talent.”
Friday night, Maxi Jazz, whose real name was Maxwell Fraser, passed away “peacefully in his sleep.”
The musician and DJ was a founding member of the band Faithless, whose club classic Insomnia is well known.
The Dutch trance legend Armin van Buuren hopes that jazz music will continue to “inspire others.”
Since his death was announced, various sectors of the music industry have continued to pay respect to Jazz.
The 65-year-old, according to independent record label Rough Trade Records, “had a vital role in the realm of British electronica.”
British DJ Judge Jules referred to Jazz as an “amazing artist and a true gentleman,” while DJ and radio host Mistajam stated that Jazz’s “speech and performances moved so many of us.
In 2012, Jazz, an avid fan of Crystal Palace Football Club, was appointed assistant director.
On Boxing Day, the first team of Crystal Palace will walk out to Faithless at Selhurst Park against Fulham in the Premier League, the club’s chairman announced on Twitter.
Steve Parish said, “Deeply saddened by the news that Maxi passed away this morning. He was a tremendously talented man, a devoted fan of the club in every aspect, and a genuinely kind-hearted individual.
“He made the world dance, sing, and laugh, and I had the honor of calling him a friend. RIP Maxi.”
Jazz, who was born in Brixton, south London, also led the band Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys and released music with Soul Food Cafe.
David Pearce, a DJ, stated that by the mid-1990s, Faithless had become an “iconic force in UK dance music” and had “affected so many lives.” He stated that jazz was the “poet of dancing music” and a “warm, cool, kind spirit.
Faithless were pioneers of stadium dance music when they began in 1995. In 2002, they headlined some of the world’s largest festivals, including Glastonbury, where they performed on the Pyramid stage. In 1999 and 2002, they were nominated for Best UK Dance Act at the Brit Awards.
The band disbanded in 2011 but reformed almost a decade later to produce a new studio album during the Covid epidemic. However, Jazz did not join them because he had already created another group, Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys.
Jazz, who began writing the songs in 2013 when Faithless was on sabbatical, introduced a new vibe with his guitar ensemble.
The band’s website describes their style as “melodic funk and blues combined with reggae beats, dub baselines, and Jamaican melodies.”
