Visions: The Stevie Wonder Songbook at Stanford Jazz Festival

With more than 30 top-ten hits and two dozen Grammy awards to his name, Stevie Wonder is one of America’s greatest popular composers. His songs are more than radio-friendly pop confections; they have rich harmonies and narrative forms that jazz improvisers love to play. Veteran Stanford Jazz Workshop faculty pianists Joe Gilman and Bennett Paster each bring a different perspective to these classic tunes. Gilman, whom Dave Brubeck calls “one of the greatest pianists I’ve ever heard,” puts a contemporary twist on Stevie’s music with complex grooves and spontaneous interplay. Paster “always seems to know just when to change things up, organically…shifting the groove from…introspective to full-on rock” (Keyboard Magazine)....

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With more than 30 top-ten hits and two dozen Grammy awards to his name, Stevie Wonder is one of America’s greatest popular composers. His songs are more than radio-friendly pop confections; they have rich harmonies and narrative forms that jazz improvisers love to play. Veteran Stanford Jazz Workshop faculty pianists Joe Gilman and Bennett Paster each bring a different perspective to these classic tunes. Gilman, whom Dave Brubeck calls “one of the greatest pianists I’ve ever heard,” puts a contemporary twist on Stevie’s music with complex grooves and spontaneous interplay. Paster “always seems to know just when to change things up, organically…shifting the groove from…introspective to full-on rock” (Keyboard Magazine).

For more information on this event or to purchase tickets please visit http://www.stanfordjazz.org/jazzfestival/07_29.html or call (650) 725-ARTS [2787]

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