Stevie Wonder is an incredibly talented musician and humanitarian. It's no wonder that he has a following of people who are both creative and philanthropic. Bruno Striano has directed a project to create a CD covering the music of Stevie Wonder. Proceeds from the CD go to various children's charities. Kenny Gould, who wrote the book on Stevie Wonder (or perhaps should have), has written the liner notes for this very special CD, and Q has been honored with a sneak-preview: "Music is a world within itself With a language we all understand..." Stevie Wonder is one of the most influential and revered figures in the world of music. He is universally recognized as a genius and a living legend whose body of work continues to grow. His concerts are a celebration of life and love through song, his music a loving embrace from the soul. The ambition of this CD is to pay tribute to the music and spirit of the man, Stevland Morris. I have been a Stevie Wonder fan virtually my whole life, albeit some of it before I could crawl. A few weeks after I was born in the spring of 1963, Motown released the album Recorded Live-The Twelve Year Old Genius and the single Fingertips (Pt II). Each record shot to the top of the charts, and for the first time in history, an album and a single taken from the album were Number One simultaneously. I am sure that my cradle rocked. Through the 1960's, I grew up, and Stevie Wonder grew to be one of Motown's brightest stars. Not content within the rigid confines of the Motown "hit factory," Stevie voided his contracts with the label on his twenty-first birthday and established his own publishing and production companies, thereby assuming control over his music and career. After signing new contracts with Motown, his subsequent albums were very personal, highly crafted, cohesive statements reflecting Stevie's growing social awareness and maturity. Stevie's talent as a musician flourished as he played nearly all of the instruments on his recordings, and his creative skills as a producer and arranger became notably evident. His critical and commercial success was overwhelming. Between 1973 and 1976, he won fifteen Grammy Awards. Stevie Wonder is the only artist to win Album of the Year for three successive albums (Innervisions, Fulfillingness' First Finale, and Songs in the Key of Life). To paraphrase Rolling Stone, "he was no longer just a superstar, he was a monster." I discovered Stevie Wonder with the release of Songs in the Key of Life. I was then compelled to buy all the Stevie Wonder music I could find. As I listened to the older albums, I found myself repeating, "that was Stevie Wonder? I always loved that song!" As a vital artist and dynamic performer, Stevie Wonder has written some of the most important and enduring music in the latter half of the 20th century. In a recent Musician survey, Stevie and his albums from the 1970's were often cited as being the most influential on artists of all ages and genres. Jazz great David Sanborn once remarked that before he plays a piece of music on his saxophone, he imagines how Stevie would play it on the harmonica. Stevie is one of the most covered songwriters in the modern era and is in great demand as a guest musician on other artists' projects. He pioneered the creation and use of many new instruments and recording techniques. There is no one in the industry that does as many things as well as he. Whether performing with his band or an orchestra, a Stevie Wonder concert is an Event. I have heard people liken the concert to a religious experience. On January 15, 1984, I attended a concert that was a celebration of the successful campaign enacting Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday as a national holiday. The show's finale was a spirited Happy Birthday, with revised lyrics reflecting the victory. The crowd of 18,000 people continued to sing in unison, long after the lights came on, out into the cold night, and even as they drove off in their cars with the windows down. Stevie Wonder's compositions affect us on so many levels. He has "songs to make you smile" and "songs to make you sad." We dance to his rhythms and sing along with his melodies. His lyrics stimulate our minds. At their best, Stevie's songs reach deep inside and touch our souls. They challenge and inspire us to become better people and to work for a more harmonious world. "...I am singing someday love will reign Throughout this world of ours I am singing of love from my heart..." The underlying theme to Stevie Wonder's music is Love; love in all of its various forms. It is love that fills his soul: his love of G-d, his love of life, his love for the people close to him, his love of humanity. He radiates a very powerful and spiritual aura that originates from that love. When he sits down at the piano and plays, you feel G-d's presence in the room. "People hand in hand Have I lived to see the milk and honey land? Where hate's a dream and love forever stands Or is this a vision in my mind?..." I first met Stevie Wonder in the early 1980's while lobbying for the legislation to declare Dr. King's birthday a national holiday in the United States. He mobilized the nation by spearheading the campaign, leading three marches in Washington, DC, with his anthem, Happy Birthday as the rallying cry. After President Reagan signed the bill into law, Stevie's acknowledgment of being the prime mover of that successful campaign was to say, "I am happy I was able to play a role in this great event." This simple statement exemplifies his deep, heartfelt humility. Stevie loves to laugh and has a great sense of humor. I echo the sentiments of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan when he said of Stevie Wonder, "he is the most fun human being per second that I have ever met." "...Take the time out to love someone Reach your arms out and hug someone Be it king or some homeless one We are all one underneath the sun..." Stevie Wonder has supported many local, national, and worldwide causes. This tribute is appropriate because the proceeds from this CD are going to help children. Since early in his career and to this day, Stevie has visited schools to convey to the kids the importance of an education and the perils of drug use. He donated his song, Don't Drive Drunk, to a campaign against drunk driving, while high schools all over the United States displayed posters that depicted him saying "before I ride with a drunk, I will drive myself." He has established scholarships at schools and universities, and has been one of the largest benefactors of the Duke Ellington School for the Arts in Washington, DC. Stevie gives generously of his time and resources to raise money and awareness for many causes and institutions. He has received countless honors, awards, and citations from organizations throughout the world, including the United Nations General Assembly and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, for his inspirational work. Stevie has held numerous charity events for victims of tragic circumstances. On November 15, 1991, I attended a benefit concert in Chicago for an unborn baby in need of a heart transplant. Stevie drew thousands of people together to celebrate the very potential of helping a life that had not yet begun...a life to be made possible. "...A prayer is heard by one so small Let love be in the hearts of all Oh I can't wait until the day there's sunshine in their eyes..." This CD is the result of the efforts of more than fifty people who donated their talents and time to honor Stevie Wonder by playing his music in order to benefit children in need. I am honored that my friend, Bruno Striano, the director of this project, has allowed me to share a few thoughts. On behalf of all those involved, we hope you enjoy the music and thank you for your support. The Children thank you too. Kenneth P. Gould January 15, 1998 "...If mine eyes were to see Let them be the witness of a world that is color free And if my limbs were to move Let me touch and walk this land when hate can no longer be And if my ears were to hear Let it like the sweetest music be unity and harmony And should my mouth start to speak Let me talk about a land where love's for all And fear can't put dreams to sleep..." Here is a letter that Kenny Gould posted to the Stevie Wonder listserver two years ago. It's a keeper. If you are interested in puchasing this very special CD, please contact either Bruno Striano or wonder@connect.it. Check out the following Italian websites devoted to this incredible projects: http://www.connect.it/apdm or http://www.amalthea.it/wonder. Copyright © 1998 Kenneth P. Gould