Maxx Traxx

Biography

Maxx Traxx was a short‑lived but highly regarded Chicago soul‑funk and post‑disco band active at the turn of the 1980s, evolving out of an earlier group called Third Rail.[1][4][5] Centered around keyboardist and songwriter Terry Marshall, the band emerged from Chicago’s vibrant club scene, gigging relentlessly “five‑plus nights a week” across the 312 area and building a reputation as a powerful live act that could move seamlessly from jazz and fusion to funk, rock, and R&B covers before focusing on their own material.[1][4] In 1982 they recorded two albums: Third Rail: Reachin’ For It, self‑released on their own Two‑Twenty‑Two label under the Third Rail name, and Maxx Traxx, issued by Pulse Records, capturing their progressive soul‑jazz and boogie sound at its peak.[1]

Musically, Maxx Traxx fused Minneapolis‑style funk‑rock, jazz harmony, and Chicago soul into a synth‑heavy, groove‑driven style that in hindsight sits squarely in the post‑disco boogie continuum.[1][3] The arrival of bassist J.D. Gatlin brought a pronounced Minneapolis funk influence linked to the earlier Prophets of Peace scene that fed into Prince’s circle, helping shape the band’s hybrid of funk, soul, and jazz.[1] By the early 1980s they had transitioned from a cover band to one whose sets were predominantly original, workshopped nightly on stage, and they shared bills with major acts such as Kool & the Gang and later opened for the Commodores at the Holiday Star Theatre in 1983.[1] Despite strong material and a commanding live presence, the group dissolved around 1983, a mere four years after its start, as members pursued other musical paths or stepped away from performance.[1]

In the decades following their breakup, Maxx Traxx’s recordings—especially tracks like “Don’t Touch It”—became highly prized among collectors, described as a “certified grail” for its synth‑heavy jazz‑funk/boogie crossover sound and rediscovered through reissues by archival labels such as the Numero Group.[1][3][4] Retrospective coverage has reframed Maxx Traxx as an important if under‑recognized link in Chicago’s post‑disco and modern soul lineage, a band that encapsulated the city’s club‑driven R&B and funk scene at the dawn of the 1980s while anticipating the deeper, more electronic strains of boogie and modern funk that later DJs and producers would champion.[1][3][4] Their music now functions as both a snapshot of an intensely creative but localized Chicago scene and a resource for contemporary artists and DJs seeking authentic, groove‑rich material from that era.[1][3][6]

Fun Facts

• Before Maxx Traxx, keyboardist Terry Marshall had already built a professional résumé playing with renowned Chicago soul group the Emotions, connecting the band directly to the classic 1970s Chicago soul scene.[1]
• Drummer Malcom Banks joined only in mid‑1982, just before the Third Rail name change to Maxx Traxx, yet still managed to appear on the band’s signature Maxx Traxx album and had previously toured with both the Emotions and the Dells.[1]
• Bassist J.D. Gatlin’s background in the Minneapolis funk‑rock sound—traced back to the Prophets of Peace, whose guitarist later worked with Prince—gave Maxx Traxx a distinctive hybrid of Minneapolis funk, jazz, and Chicago soul.[1]
• Maxx Traxx’s track “Don’t Touch It” later became a highly sought‑after collector’s item, described as a “certified grail” for boogie and jazz‑funk enthusiasts and reissued alongside a version by Rotterdam band Another Taste.[3]

Members

• Lee Gatlin
• Terry Marshall

Musical Connections

Key Collaborators

• Terry Marshall - Founding keyboardist, songwriter, and core creative force, anchoring the band’s progressive soul‑jazz sound after starting his professional career with Chicago soul group the Emotions. (Albums Third Rail: Reachin’ For It and Maxx Traxx (1982), plus live club work throughout Chicago.) [circa 1979–1983[1]]
• Malcom Banks - Drummer who joined Third Rail shortly before the name change to Maxx Traxx and played on the Maxx Traxx album, bringing experience from extensive touring with the Emotions and the Dells. (Album Maxx Traxx (1982) and associated live performances.) [joined mid‑1982; active to band’s end around 1983[1]]
• J.D. Gatlin - Bassist who replaced Reggie Gillerson and stayed through the transition from Third Rail to Maxx Traxx, injecting a strong Minneapolis funk‑rock influence into the group’s sound. (Album Maxx Traxx and live shows including opening for the Commodores.) [early 1980s until his final show with the band in October 1983[1]]
• Third Rail (earlier incarnation of the band) - Precursor configuration of the group that recorded Third Rail: Reachin’ For It and then evolved into Maxx Traxx while maintaining most of the same core personnel. (Third Rail: Reachin’ For It (1982), extensive club work in Chicago prior to the Maxx Traxx rebranding.) [circa 1979–1982[1][4]]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Don't Touch It! (Maxx Traxx)
2. Just Had To Tell You (Reachin' For It)
3. Don't Touch It! - Cover (Don't Touch It!)
4. Reachin' For It (Reachin' For It)
5. Don't Touch It! (Don't Touch It!)
6. If You Want It (You Can Have It) (Reachin' For It)
7. Let's Have A Party (Maxx Traxx)
8. Just Had To Tell You (Eccentric Modern Soul)
9. Don't Touch It! (Maxx Traxx: Third Rail)
10. Reachin' For It (Maxx Traxx: Third Rail)

External Links

• Spotify
• MusicBrainz