In Sunday’s New York Times, Jon Pareles profiles Maxwell, who’ll headline the Essence Music Festival Saturday on the main stage. In the piece, he writes about Maxwell’s almost 8-year-long sabbatical from his career:

Hod David, the guitarist who has been Maxwell’s collaborator since the early 1990s and who produced the new album with him, said that Maxwell made a deliberate decision to withdraw. “He wanted to live a little bit.” Mr. David also said that in the early 2000s he and Maxwell were contemplating R&B and hip-hop in “the bling era” and trying to figure out where they might fit in. Over years of on-and-off songwriting and recording they never did.

“You wonder, is there a place for me?” Maxwell said. “And that would be a bit of a writing block experience for me.”

               

Here’s the day by day lineup for the Essence Music Festival, which takes place in the Superdome over the July 4 weekend. Little on the main stage speaks to me, but there’s a lot of fairly interesting music in the superlounges.

Friday, July 3:  Main stage: Beyoncé, John Legend, Ne-Yo, Salt N Pepa, DJ Soul Sister,Superlounges: Eric Benet, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Solange, Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, Keri Hilson, Marva Wright, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Preservation Hall Jazz Band Revue, Dwele DJ Captain Charles, DJ Jubilee, DJ Dynamite Dave Soul and DJ EF Cuttin.

Saturday, July 4:  Main stage: Maxwell, Anita Baker, Robin Thicke, Charlie Wilson, Jazmine Sullivan, DJ Soul Sister, Superlounges: Ledisi, Janelle Monae, Zap Mama, Irvin Mayfield, Dan Dyer, Little Freddie King, DJ Captain Charles, DJ Jubilee, DJ Dynamite Dave Soul and DJ EF Cuttin.

Sunday, July 5:  Main stage: Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, Lionel Richie, Al Green, Teena Marie, En Vogue, DJ Soul Sister, Superlounges: Raphael Saadiq, Lalah Hathaway, Melanie Fiona, Ryan Leslie, Blind Boys of Alabama, The Knux, Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave All Stars, Rebirth Brass Band, DJ Captain Charles, DJ Jubilee, DJ Dynamite Dave Soul and DJ EF Cuttin.

               

Tonight at 8 p.m. CST, VH1 Soul (Channel 362 on Cox Cable) presents a new episode of Soul Cities with Nelson George, this time featuring New Orleans. The segment was filmed during the Essence Music Festival weekend and features Terrence Blanchard, Kermit Ruffins, DJ Soul Sister, Irma Thomas, Lil Wayne and Raheem DeVaughn (not from here, but he performed at EMF).

Speaking of Essence, in honor of the festival’s upcoming 15th anniversary, select tickets are available for a 15 percent discount from December 1 to January 31 at Ticketmaster.com. This year’s Essence Fest will have Beyonce as its headliner.

               

An OffBeat staffer who went to Bonnaroo asked, “Does Essence know what it’s getting itself into?” Yahoo reports that Kanye West didn’t go on until until 4:30 a.m. for a host of reasons:

West was originally set to kick things off at 8:15 p.m., but because he wanted to make the most of his Glow-in-the-Dark Tour’s lighting show, the hip-hopster’s camp asked to push back the gig to 2:45 a.m. following Pearl Jam’s show.

However, the Seattle grunge rockers’ gig lasted an hour longer than planned, with Eddie Vedder and bandmates not wrapping until 1:15 a.m. Then there was an extended break while Pearl Jam’s roadies disassembled the band’s stage and West’s crew set up his own elaborate backdrop, a glow-in-the-dark spaceship along with undulating black platform and raised video screen.

Our staffer left Bonnaroo with a slightly different take. He was watching Phil Lesh and Friends’ late night set – one that often goes until sunrise – and reports that Lesh announced some time after 3 a.m. that the next song would be their last because West wouldn’t perform while other bands were onstage.