What’s up Brooklyn?
We roared back— ready to boogie in our seats, ready to remember, and ready to tune out all the ill winds wafting our way from Iran, SCOTUS, and the like. We are a Brooklyn crowd— mixed races and mixed ages, though leaning heavy on people old enough to get social security checks.
This was the second day of a 3-day Stevie Wonder celebration that both delivered (or should we say signed, sealed and delivered) true-to-original renditions mixed with new orchestration takes that seemed to underline Stevie Wonder’s musical range. On this second of three nights, songs came from two albums: Inner Visions and Fulfillingness First Finale.
Just Enough for the City…
Too Shy to Say…
All is Fair in Love…
Golden Lady..
And more— 17 songs en toto.
Darrell M. McNeill and LaFrae Sci (who also bops with her drums throughout) put together several stars and talents to bring STEVIE to life. You too might find that the songs you know the most— the ones that slipped into your DNA in the 70’s- -are not on the program, because it just isn’t their night. That said, the 17 songs performed more than showcase the intricacies and mastery in Stevie Wonder’s music, especially with the help of the vocal arrangements by songstress Shelley Nicole. Nicole helped us to hear the complexity of the harmonies in so many of Wonder’s songs. Every musical phrase seems to give a surprise ending— like Sondheim music except THIS music makes us want to get up and dance. THIS music makes us want to clap and sing along— which we do throughout the performance.
Expect to find yourself Youtube surfing the next day for ALL things Stevie Wonder.
RECOMMENDED
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM:
LaFrae Sci / Co-Director, Drums, Percussion, Electronics
Corey Glover (Living Colour) / Vocals (May 15 & 16)
Vernon Reid (Living Colour) / Guitars
The Family Stand
Sandra St. Victor / Vocal
Peter Lord / Vocals, Keyboards
V. Jeffrey Smith / Vocals, Saxophones, Guitar, Horn Arrangements
Shelley Nicole / Vocals, Vocal Director
Bruce Mack / Vocals
Kelsey Warren / Vocals
Xavier Smith / Vocals
Miss Olithea / Vocals
L A Blacksmith / Saxophones, Flute
Tyrone Cox / Trumpet
Leon Gruenbaum / Keyboards, Effects, Samchillian, Vocoder
Marcus Machado / Guitars
Daniel Sadownick / Percussion
Ray Angry (The Roots) / Keyboards
David Ryan Harris (John Mayer) / Vocals
Mark Whitfield / Guitar (May 14 & 15)
Grégoire Maret / Harmonica
Jared Michael Nickerson / Production Manager
Sadah Espii Proctor / Audio Visual Designer
Al “Rhino” Pereira / Photographer
Cathleen Campbell / Photographer
Hemamset Angaza / Videographer
HTM Partners LLP (Legal Counsel)
Gregory A. Thomson
For more information visit the BAM website.
Photos: Edwina Hay
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About the Author: Amy Munice
Amy Munice is Editor-in-Chief and Co-Publisher of Picture This Post. She covers books, dance, film, theater, music, museums and travel. Prior to founding Picture This Post, Amy was a freelance writer and global PR specialist for decades—writing and ghostwriting thousands of articles and promotional communications on a wide range of technical and not-so-technical topics.
