Ahead of Faithless’ headline performance later on in the weekend, Maxi Jazz & The E-Type Boys will perform on Thursday night in the Big Top at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival.
As one third of Faithless, Maxi Jazz toured the globe for 20 years selling over 15 million records worldwide. Whilst on a hiatus in 2013 the Buddhist rapper returned to the studio with just his guitar and notebook and began to write. Influenced by everyone from Todd Rundgren to Sly Stone, from James Brown to JJ Cale, from Jimi Hendrix to Parliament, he created a sound harking back to his roots of reggae beats and dub baselines.
Enlisting the help of some of his favourite musicians who he’d met throughout his career Maxi Jazz recruited Martin Carlin on drums (Groove Armada, Morcheeba, Neneh Cherr); Basil Isaac (Underworld, Des’ree, Basement Jaxx); Chris Jerome on keys (Tom Jones, Lionel Richie and Mica Paris); Leigh Kenny aka LSK on vocals (Fatboy Slim, Stereo MCs, Status Quo); Jack Libretto on guitar; Alexis Countouris on bass (Imagination, Gwen Dickey) and Chris Dover on slide guitar to form a powerful live band to perform alongside him known as The E-Type Boys.
Queen + Adam Lambert, Stereophonics and Faithless will all perform across the weekend along with Iggy Pop, Twin Atlantic, Busted, Jess Glynne, Sigma and The Corrs at what is the first festival of the Summer.
Tickets are available from The Price is Wight at https://www.thepriceiswight.co.uk/product/iow-festival-full-price/.
