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John “Greyhound” Maxwell brings his singular approach to slide guitar and mandolin, paying homage to the craft and tradition of the masters, while infusing the music with fresh energy.David Lindley is quoted as saying, “John is the best bottleneck slide player I’ve heard in a long, long time.”
With an approach that is authentic and understated, Maxwell plays with the warmth and dexterity of someone who has loved the blues over a lifetime.
In 1972, at Chicago’s historic Old Town School of Folk Music
he took lessons from a young Johnny Long, himself a student of
Homesick James. When Maxwell left for college in St. Louis, he
originally studied classical, but grew restless and formed an acoustic blues trio.
He counts himself lucky enough to have mingled with St Louis blues legends Tommy Bankhead and Henry Townsend, with whom he later shared the stage. That lineage is evident in the conversations he’s still having. In his capable hands, classics are given a deep bow and a quick wink, at once subtle and surprising. Likewise, his originals feel familiar to the genre, at home on a back-roads front porch or a downtown speakeasy. One gets the feeling he’d be equally at home with a symphony or a jug band.
In fact, he’s travelled the country, playing bluegrass in Tulsa and punkrock in San Francisco, with forays into jazz, folk and rock and roll. No matter the genre, he always found himself coming back to the blues.
Now, having rounded the corner of 70, Maxwell is a master of his craft, garnering the admiration of his contemporaries. His first recording, Blues for Evangeline, made the top five in the Best Self-Produced CD competition at the 2016 Memphis International Blues Challenge. In 2017, he had a song placed in a film at the Sundance Festival, and he has
twice taught at the prestigious Port Townsend Traditional Blues Festival in Washington state, where he now resides.
The Washington Blues Society named John “Greyhound” Maxwell the 2018 award recipient for Best Acoustic Blues Guitar. His second self produced CD, “Even Good Dogs Get the Blues”, represented the WBS at the 2018 International Blues Challenge. His third CD, “Wagon Of Tales”, represented the WBS at the 2025 IBC. “It’s really exciting,” he says. “I feel like I’m finally coming into my own.”
Maxwell has recently shared the stage with well-known blues greats,
opening shows for Marcia Ball, Albert Cummings, Ruthie Foster, Sonny Landreth, Keb’Mo and Taj Mahal.
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109 Avon Ave. S., Avon, MN, United States, Minnesota 56310
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