Maxwell Salinger-Ridley is a musician from Boston. Both of his parents were singers and he also began his life in music by singing. In middle school he started playing bass guitar and drums in punk bands with friends after school and also taking lessons on the upright bass. It was in high school at the Boston Arts Academy where he really fell in love with Jazz and the upright bass. During his first year at BAA, he had a profound spiritual experience listening to John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme” on the way to school early one morning.
While still in high school, he was part of the Berklee City Music program and through this program, was able to perform with, and be mentored by musicians like Delfeayo Marsalis, Patrice Rushen and Quincy Jones. He was awarded full-tuition scholarships to study at Berklee College of Music for both undergraduate and graduate degrees, earning his graduate degree from the Berklee Global Jazz Institute under the direction of master pianist, educator and humanitarian Danilo Perez. An equally important part of his education was down the street from Berklee at Boston’s historic Wally’s Jazz Cafe. He began going to jam sessions there in high school and eventually became the house bass player every Friday and Saturday in the band of mentor and incredible trumpet player and human, Jason Palmer.
Ridley has played all over the world in venues such as the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Barbican, the Sydney Opera House, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Symphony Hall. He is one of the most in-demand musicians in New England and beyond and can be found playing as a sideman in many different groups with some of his favorite musicians (see groups and gigs) and has a few albums out of his own music. He also serves as the music director for tap dance company Subject:Matter (https://www.subjectmattertap.com/)
More recently, he has been expressing art through poetry as well as music. He is also the grandson of the classic American author, JD Salinger.
He hopes to spread love in the world and be of service through sound and devotion.