Jazz Ensemble Pays Homage to The Music of Stevie Wonder

An eclectic mix of music spanning Stevie Wonder’s 51-year career as a musician will fill the Dr. Thomas D. Pappert Center for Performance and Innovation on Thursday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m.

The Music of Stevie Wonder concert, performed by the School of Music’s Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Mike Tomaro, will showcase Wonder’s music due to its wide-reaching appeal to musicians and audiences alike.

“Because of the quality of his music,” Tomaro said, “jazz musicians have always gravitated toward it. There are a lot of interesting melodies, harmonies and grooves. He has seen an incredible number of hits and his music continues to be relevant to the history and shaping of popular music.”

Beginning with his first major hit, Fingertips, in 1963, Wonder became popular with a variety of audiences at a time when music did not typically cross the racial and social boundaries prevalent in the 1960s and ’70s.

“Wonder’s music was as universally important to the black community of the ’60s and early ’70s as the Beatles were to the white community,” Tomaro said. “However, unlike the Beatles (for the most part), his music crossed over into the white community at a time when this was not a typical occurrence. Long after the Beatles ceased as a group, Stevie Wonder continued to turn out an incredible number of hits into the ’80s, ’90s and the 2000s.”

In addition to the Jazz Ensemble, The Music of Stevie Wonder will feature faculty soloists including, guitarists Bill Purse and Ken Karsh, vocalist Maureen Budway and student vocalists.

Tomaro has plans for future concerts including such artists as Billy Joel and horn bands of the ’70s including Chicago; Earth, Wind and Fire; Blood, Sweat and Tears; and Tower of Power. “The possibilities are really tremendous,” Tomaro said.

A donation of $10 is suggested for admission and will be collected at the door. For more information, call 412.396.6083.