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Fans of the renowned soul band Maze, founded by the late Frankie Beverly, will be delighted that TMF (The Music Forever), consisting entirely of former Maze members and featuring singer Chris Walker, will open Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest on April 4 at 6 p.m. at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, West Reading.
Beverly, a Philadelphia native, started the band Raw Soul, which would become Maze, in 1970, after previously leading The Blenders and The Butlers. Raw Soul, after a year of recording on a small local label, moved to San Francisco’s Bay Area.
Roame Lowry, an original member of Raw Soul and Maze, recalled the move, saying: “It was a struggle. There were eight of us living in a house together, and we’d play every day. Frankie played the acoustic guitar and piano, and he’d bring us a song, and we added parts and grooves. It was very organic. We all contributed to the sound. Frankie was a great writer; he wrote beautiful songs.”
By 1976, all that work paid off when Marvin Gaye discovered the band and helped them get a record deal with Capitol Records.
“He hated the name Raw Soul,” Roame said. “So we had to come up with a name. I thought our songs took you in and out of different feelings and emotions, sort of like a maze. So the name fit, and Marvin loved it and everyone liked it.”
Their 1977 debut album, “Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly,” went gold, and they went on to attract a devoted following until Beverly’s retirement in 2023, when he and the band gave two final concerts in Philadelphia.
He died a year later, in September 2024, and now, the same fans and their children and grandchildren enjoy Maze’s songs in performances by TMF.
“The camaraderie is really special,” Roame said of his 55 years with the band. “This band was always like a family. You often hear of groups where one guy doesn’t like another, but there was never any of that with our band.
“The tightness and love have been genuine and continues with TMF. It’s kind of surreal; you’re doing something you love, and you have millions of fans who want to see you and who love what you do. It’s a great feeling.”
Roame, like Beverly, grew up in Philadelphia, where his grandfather was a singing pastor. His cousin, the late John Whitehead, was part of the R&B duo McFadden and Whitehead from the 1970s to 2004.
At an early age, Roame began to play piano by ear, then learned cornet in grade school. He also plays flute, and in Maze and TMF he plays congas and sings. He met Beverly when The Butlers’ bass player invited him to sit in with the band.
“Frankie and I clicked,” he said. “He and I had an immediate bond.”
Toward the end of their long run, the Maze band members formed their own group due to management problems. They all agree that there was never any conflict with Beverly, and they were on good terms until he passed.
They brought in Walker — a bass player, vocalist and music director for Regina Belle and the late Al Jarreau — as their lead singer and began touring together. They have recently released their first album, “TMF, The Music Forever, Vol. 1,” and audiences have been thrilled with the old and new material they present in their concerts.
“So far, the experience has been quite amazing,” Walker said. “The audiences have been so receptive of what we have to offer. Of course, we know that I’m not Frankie, and no one can ever replace him, but as TMF, Formerly of Maze, we have found our footing, and the audience has opened their arms to receive us. It has been a beautiful journey so far.”
Roame agreed, adding that their audiences are multi-generational, with original fans of Maze as well as younger people who grew up hearing their parents’ Maze recordings.
They recognize hit songs like “Happy Feelings,” “While I’m Alone,” “Golden Time of Day,” “Southern Girl,” “The Look in Your Eyes,” “Joy and Pain” and “The Morning After,” but also enjoy the newer songs done in Maze’s distinctive style.
Walker, who was born in Houston, said he first met Roame and Beverly in 1987, when he was Regina Belle’s music director, at the age of 19. Prior to that, he had moved to New York City “with $40 and a dream,” and quickly received a full scholarship to the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. His musical chops were developed early as a member of his family’s gospel group.
While at the New School, Walker had a chance to play with jazz greats like Ornette Coleman, Art Blakey, Bob James and Cassandra Wilson. While touring with Belle, Maze shared the stage.
“I watched them perform night after night, and it was life-changing,” Walker said. “I’ve been a fan for so many years, and the fact that I’m with this group now is a testament that God answers prayers.”
At the time of this interview, TMF was preparing to head for the U.K., where Maze sold out the Hammersmith Odeon more than 20 years ago, Roame said. After Berks Jazz Fest, they will return to the U.K. and Holland.
Walker, who has performed twice before at Berks Jazz Fest — in 2018 singing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” at the Remembering Chuck Loeb concert and starring in “We’re in This Love Together,” a tribute to Al Jarreau — said he looks forward to returning to Berks County.
“Berks Jazz Fest is keeping real music alive,” he said. “It’s a melting pot of so many genres.”
Walker asked that the audience wear something white in honor of Beverly, who always performed in white clothes, and that they “wear dancing shoes; it will be a party.”
For more information
For a complete guide to Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest 2025, visit www.berksjazzfest.com, where you can view the schedule along with artist bios, news and other information, including how to purchase tickets through the festival’s own system.
