The full video of Jimmy's Celebration of Life event, held on June 1, 2024 in New Orleans, is now available  here:  http://bit.ly/jimmymaxwellcel…

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James “Jimmy” Maxwell was born on August 30, 1953 in the heart of New Orleans to Eddie and Joy Maxwell, as the second of four children. Jimmy grew to be a beloved and well-renowned bandleader, mythologist, husband, father, and friend.

His early days were marked by merriment and mischief as he found his way in the world ~ sneaking out of Baptist church to find additional sources of inspiration and entertainment. Jimmy soon learned that music meant opportunity; he played drums at John F. Kennedy High School, leading the band in Mardi Gras parades, and soon began joining his father on gigs with the Rene Louapre Orchestra — which he would later take over as bandleader. Though he eventually went on to have an extremely notable career in the music business, he learned to hustle before his creative passions were able to fully support his life and family. Following high school and into his young adult life, Jimmy worked on tugboats on the Mississippi River, learned the real estate business through his father, and even drove a Barq’s Root Beer truck for a time. He later attended both Louisiana State University and the University of New Orleans, graduating with a General Studies degree.

He continued to work as a musician, picking up gigs and eventually selling pianos at a music store. In 1975, Jimmy traveled to Winnipeg, Canada for a Yamaha music conference — and fell head over heels for Helen Podence, a musician from New Jersey, who was to become his wife of 47 years. Six months after they met, Jimmy moved from New Orleans to New Jersey to meet Helen’s family and “because the long-distance phone calls had become more expensive than his rent.” Six months after that, they married on July 18, 1976 and road-tripped back to New Orleans for their honeymoon.

As Jimmy’s career grew, he formally established several music businesses including New Orleans Entertainment Agency (NOEA), H.E.R. Records, the Louis Armstrong Society Jazz Band, and his signature Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra (JMO). JMO quickly grew to be best known as New Orleans’ top “society big band,” touring across the United States and to France and Ecuador. Since the early 1980s, the band still plays 25+ Mardi Gras balls each year, including Rex and Comus. In addition to collaborations with the Peter Duchin Orchestra, JMO has played for members of the British Royal Family and Presidents Bush, Reagan, and Clinton. Beyond the traveling work of JMO, Jimmy produced albums including At the Mardi Gras Ball (featuring fanfares and callouts that give a musical tase of a society carnival ball) and Bliss…and All That Jazz (celebrating myth, philosophy, and “music as life”). Jimmy was also proprietor of two jazz clubs in the French Quarter: Maxwell’s Toulouse Cabaret at 615 Toulouse St (1992-1997), and Satchmo’s Club at the Bienville House Hotel (2004 - 2005).

Amidst building one of the nation’s most successful touring big bands of the 20th century, Jimmy and Helen grew their family and had two children: Elizabeth, born 1985, and Robert, born 1988. Over countless nightly family dinners, summer road trips, deep conversations, and lots of laughter, their strong family and home life was an anchor amidst Jimmy’s business success. Helen also kept “the books” and was a critical piece of keeping the day to day operations of the business - and home life - functioning well. Elizabeth and Robert are both musically and artistically inclined to this day: Elizabeth occasionally sings with the band and has a successful career in creative communications (grown from early days of marketing JMO); Robert has gone on to become the next generation bandleader of JMO, still running the annual Mardi Gras balls in addition to being a talented drummer and software developer.

When Hurricane Katrina reshaped New Orleans, it reshaped Jimmy’s trajectory as well. Satchmo’s Place suddenly closed, his hometown was underwater, and Jimmy also found himself spiritually and professionally adrift. Like many New Orleanians, by necessity, he started exploring alternative paths and interests that had held a spark earlier in life. He earned a paralegal degree, as he had always had an interest in studying law. But he really found his way back the spring after Katrina by attending a Joseph Campbell “playshop” at the Esalen Institute in California. While he had previously come across the work of Joseph Campbell when seeking to make sense of his life’s course in his 30s, the timing now aligned to take him deep into the “hero’s journey” and Campbell’s work of comparative mythology….and he found many treasured “playmates” who were interested in the same. Jimmy would return to Esalen for that same playshop every year for nearly 20 years, all the way up until his death.

In the last two decades of his life, he was actively involved in transitioning the legacy of his music business to his son and mentoring other future band leaders, still frequently played gigs and performed across New Orleans and beyond, and consistently worked part-time for the Joseph Campbell Foundation. His knowledge of music and audio technology made him the perfect person to digitize Campbell’s extensive library of work; as he simultaneously listened to hundreds upon hundreds of hours of Campbell audio, he also served as Audio Curator — codifying and recommending relevant lectures for multiple public uses by the foundation. Always looking ahead to the next frontier, Jimmy was working with the foundation up until his death on researching how artificial intelligence might be used to further the field of mythology and exploring other special projects. Jimmy was named a Joseph Campbell Foundation Fellow — a small, esteemed group of individuals selected for excellence in both their individual fields and dedication to supporting Campbell’s legacy.

After a valiant struggle with cancer, Jimmy took his final “leap” into the next adventure and passed away peacefully at home on February 29, 2024. Jimmy is survived by his wife, Helen Maxwell, his daughter, Elizabeth Maxwell, his son, Robert Maxwell, Robert’s partner, Anja Kačmarčik, and so many more loved ones who miss his bright light immensely. By Jimmy’s wishes, his physical body has been donated to scientific research at Tulane Medical School. A “Celebration of Life” is being held at the Pavillion of the Two Sisters on Saturday, June 1st at 10:00am. All are welcome, and RSVPs encouraged at everloved.com/life-of/james-m…. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to perpetuating the work of Joseph Campbell via the link above — and above all, please find your own way to “Follow Your Bliss.”  

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Additional tributes to Jimmy’s life can be found through the following links: 

• The New Orleans Times Picayune’s editorial obituary of Jimmy can be read here:  http://bit.ly/JM-editorial-ob…
• Through the Joseph Campbell Foundation “MythBlast” — a dedicated valediction forJimmy: https://www.jcf.org/post/pass…
• Abridged obituary in newspaper:  http://bit.ly/jmfamilyobituar…  
• Learn more about JMO through the band’s website: www.jimmymaxwell.com
• Full video of Jimmy's Celebration of Life event, held June 1, 2024, in New Orleans:  http://bit.ly/jimmymaxwellcel…  

Please continue to share your own memories and stories about Jimmy through this website! The family would love to hear how Jimmy touched your life.

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