Stevie Wonder | 08.27.07 | concord, ca
the legend of legends. the master of music. the godfather of gospelrock. he wrote the songs in the key of life. he's a talking book. if you start to look back, just every band you ever liked was influenced by stevie in some way. from kiedis to kanye, mariah to michael, he's the musician's musician. i am beside myself with fulfillingness that i got to sing his songs with him tonight. hafty said one he heard "love's in need of love today," he knew it was gonna be on. almost three hours straight. practically every song he ran through is a classic. who else could you go see on tour today that has more than thirty top ten hits? [check the charts] the bumpin-est parties you ever went to had stevie funkin up the soundtrack. boogie on reggae woman! sir duke! i wish!

when he dropped into "signed, sealed, delivered" the place just exploded - people of all ages and races were dancing in the aisles. when his all grown up daughter aisha morris came to sit with him for "isn't she lovely," tears were shed - by stevie and anyone who remembers her voice from the original version. he is so tapped in musically, i mean he has no sight and lost his sense of smell in a car accident in 1973, but his hearing and voice are perfect.

everything stevie does is right in rhythm, from instructing the band to counting off the songs to simply the way he talks. he dropped in and out of covered classics like "billie jean" and "heard it through the grapevine" and he had us turn the mother out, p-funk style. a whole lotta rhythm was indeed goin down. you could indeed feel it all over. and if you listen deeper, the lessons are simple, and they're based in love: "his parents give him love and affection, to keep him strong, movin in the right direction." if you ever get the chance, do yourself a favor and tap it to the wisdom of stevland morris for a few hours. it'll set you so right, it's never wrong. - TK

Labels: concord, fulfillingness, legend, rhapsody, steviewonder, wondersummersnight