Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint is continuing its series dedicated to the quiet-storm sound of Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly with a two-fer containing both 1981's Live in New Orleans and 1986's Live in Los Angeles.

Maze began its life as Raw Soul, but a felicitous association with Marvin Gaye led to a change of name for the smooth-soul band to Maze as well as to a deal with Capitol Records.  (As Raw Soul, the band's only previous major label releases were on the RCA-affiliated Gregar label in the early 1970s.)  1977's Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly marked the group's Capitol debut, and five more studio LPs would follow through 1985's Can't Stop the Love.  All were certified Gold, and every one crossed over from R&B to the Billboard Pop chart, as well.  In the middle of this chart streak fell Live in New Orleans, the first CD in Robinsongs' 2-CD set.  The double album was recorded over two evenings at the Crescent City's Saenger Theatre, with the band's line-up encompassing Frankie Beverly (vocals/piano), Philip Woo and Sam Porter (keyboards), Ron Smith (guitar), Robin Duhe (bass), Billy "Shoes" Johnson (drums), McKinley "Bug" Williams (percussion) and Roame Lowry (congas/backing vocals).

Naturally, the band's most recent studio album (1980's Joy and Pain) was highlighted, but the album also featured tracks dating back to the group's 1977 Capitol debut.  The fourth side of 2-LP set deviated from the concert, however, to present four new studio recordings.  This wasn't an uncommon occurrence for live albums of the day, and the move paid off.  "Running Away" made the R&B Top 10; "Before I Let Go" got almost as far (to No. 13) and "We Need Love to Live" hit No. 29.  The album itself placed at an impressive No. 3 on the R&B Albums survey, and was certified Gold.

Two more studio LPs followed before the Capitol brass dispatched the mobile unit to capture another Maze concert for vinyl release.  Live in Los Angeles, Disc Two of this set, was recorded at the city's Universal Amphitheatre, a popular music venue which closed in 2013 to make way for Universal Studios Hollywood's The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction.  Maze's line-up had shifted, consisting of Beverly, Lowry, Williams, Duhe, and Porter plus Waune Thomas (lead guitar), Michael White (drums) and Kimo Cornwell (keyboards/synthesizers).  The band  brought to life their funk-soul-jazz grooves from recent studio effort Can't Stop the Love (1985) among other classics, some reprised from the Live in New Orleans set.  (Note that Robinsongs has elected to drop three tracks - "Joy and Pain," "Before I Let Go" and "Frank's Rap" - from the original album.)

Like its predecessor, Live in New Orleans featured a fourth side of new studio recordings."I Wanna Be with You" was the most successful, making it to No. 12 in its single release.  "Freedom (South Africa)" explored the troubling political situation in South Africa at the time, and paved the way for "Mandela" on the group's Silky Soul album.  Live in New Orleans became Maze's final album for Capitol; three years later, in 1989, Silky Soul would be released as Maze's debut at their new Warner Bros. home.  (Both Silky Soul and Back to Basics have recently been reissued by Robinsongs as one 2-CD set.)

This live double-header from Maze featuring Frankie Beverly has informative liner notes by Charles Waring and new remastering by Alan Wilson at Western Star.  It's available now from Robinsongs, and can be ordered at the links below!

Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, Live in New Orleans/Live in Los Angeles (Robinsongs ROBIN7CDD, 2016) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

 CD 1: Live in New Orleans (Capitol SKBK 12156, 1981)

1. Introduction
2. You
3. Changing Times
4. Joy and Pain
5. Happy Feelin's
6. Southern Girl
7. Look at California
8. Feel That You're Feelin'
9. The Look in Your Eyes
10. Running Away
11. Before I Let Go
12. We Need Love to Live
13. Reason

CD 2: Live in Los Angeles (Capitol SWBB 12479, 1986)

1. Running Away
2. Too Many Games
3. I Wanna Thank You
4. You
5. Happy Feelin's
6. Feel That Your Feelin'
7. I Want to Feel Wanted
8. We Are One
9. Back in Stride
10. Freedom (South Africa)
11. I Wanna Be with You
12. Dee's Song
13. When You Love Someone

Three tracks have been omitted from the original vinyl release.