Whirlwind of Wonder

It was a thrilling evening in all respects. Jacob and I jumped in the car on Wednesday afternoon and headed to the Metroplex for the Stevie Wonder concert. On the way, we stopped for a delicious dinner of shrimp and steak, followed by a few minutes at a men's clothing store, and finally made our way to the theater for the concert. We hurried to our seats to await the entrance of the immensely talented musician, Stevie Wonder. When he came on stage, rather he was led onto the stage due to being blind since birth, I felt myself in awe at a 57 year old man whose career has spanned decades and generations. Beginning as a youth in 1963, with his first hit, Fingertips (Pt. 2), and having his first greatest hits album in 1967 at the age of 17, Stevie has had an enviable career due to several characteristics not found in many pop music artists.

One of the most striking elements of Stevie's music, and meets my own criterion for musical excellence, is his harmonic invention. His music, like most pop music, emphasizes the I, IV, and V chords, but unlike other popular music, he feels free to alter that system at will by adding to the chords, changing their texture, and moving freely away from the expected progression by shifting to exotic scales, modal inflection, and diminished passing chords. In other words, his music stays alive and fresh due to his harmonic creativity, balance of chords, and musical perspicacity.

Another trait of Stevie's music is melodic unpredictability and wide tessitura of vocal range. His use of melismas and ability to cover a wide range in a short time make his music difficult to perform even for the most advanced singer. Large leaps, falsetto interjections, and extended vowel sounds are juxtaposed with quick and complex articulations of words and sounds sometimes requiring a delivery that seems almost impossible. In addition, Stevie will often ornament his melodies with arpeggios, appogiaturas, escape tones, and grace notes that add great depth to the music but once again demand great flexibility from the singer.

His musical skills include high level harmonica playing with a unique and individual style, piano and keyboard playing again at a high level, syncopated jazz/rock rhythms, and an incorporation of electronic sounds including a synthesizer and a voice box. Stevie's odd blend of rock and jazz including blues, ragtime, folk, and ethnic music has allowed his music to transcend cultural implications and move through and beyond the dated sounds of each generation. During the 1960s, his sound was distinctly representative of the time; during the 1970s, again his music was characteristic of the time; on into the 80s, 90s, and finally the 21st century, Stevie Wonder continues to alter his approach to music giving him a sense of timelessness and appropriateness for all ages.

Unlike many popular musicians who rely on someone else to write their music, Stevie has written and performed most but not all of his most well-known works, and he continues to generate original compositions at a prolific rate. Comfortable in a large band setting or alone at the piano, Stevie Wonder seems adept at an incredible variety of styles and genres. This particular concert demonstrated a remarkable blend of old and new, fast and slow, complex and simple but all done tastefully, artistically, and mostly musically. The evening progressed quickly and I did not want it to end. Songs like Sir Duke, You and I, Ribbon in the Sky, Blowin' in the Wind, My Cherie Amour, You Are the Sunshine of My Life, Superstition, I Wish, Livin' for the City, Signed Sealed Delivered, As, and many others thrilled the audience of over 5,000 of all ages. While I enjoyed every minute of the experience of seeing and hearing Stevie Wonder, there is no doubt that the concert was topped by the opportunity to spend time with my oldest son Jacob who enjoyed it as much as I did.