T Max

T Max, who in the local Boston rock scene doesn’t he know?  A bohemian renaissance man, T Max is a writer, publisher, musician, songwriter, producer, storyteller and visual artist.

A Brooklyn native, T Max grew up on Long Island, spent a year in Hollywood and five years on the Cape before settling in Jamaica Plain. Beginning in 1981, T Max stapled together the first issue of The Noise, a fanzine that focused on the burgeoning local underground music scene, concentrating on bands in need of exposure beyond their immediate group of friends.  Most of the bands that emerged out of the clubs that we read about here in the Music Museum of New England had their first coverage in The Noise.  T Max’s art school background, musicianship and clever wit have made The Noise the longest running fanzine in Boston, growing from its first run of 5 pages to a 56-page monthly.  After 35 years The Noise moved exclusively online www.thenoise-boston.com.

Somehow between writing, editing, hiring other writers, soliciting ads and distributing The Noise, not to mention spending innumerable hours in clubs reviewing live performances, T Max graced the stage in various bands of his own creation including Art Yard, The Machines (“Disposable Music” / “Analog” 45 single), The Borg and Max (Ride the Dove CD).  He also founded the Boston Rock Opera, produced and acted in Jesus Christ Superstar, wrote two folk-rock operas, released 10 solo albums (including the CDs Why Do We Go to War?, Shake: An Earth Tale, On British TV, and Hole in My Shoe), produced Boston Rock ’n’ Roll Trading Cards, was the music director for Project Eno (a tribute to Brian Eno) and formed Sgt. Maxwell’s Peace Chorus, a musical project to end war.  His song “End War Now” was sung by 44 vocalists and played by a 13-piece band all of local notoriety.  The touring group of this antiwar Peace Chorus (band: T Max (guitar/ lead vocal), Shawn Marquis (drums), Suzanna Porte (cello); chorus: Mick Mondo, Linda Viens, Mr. Curt, Chris Mascara, Ruby Bird, Eleanor Ramsay, Moon Mullins, Michael Bloom) performed between 2007-2010.

He has lectured on marketing music media at Emerson College, is a fine artist in wood, a photographer, a graphic artist, and a champion chess player.

T Max is a Boston treasure.

(by Oedipus)