His harmonies sound like the harmonies you would hear in a jazz standard. He expanded in that as his career advanced, but that was always in his music.
This guy is the author of: Visions, Too High, Don't you Worry About a Thing, Another Star, As, Sir Duke, Contution. He's not merely a rock star trying to play jazz. He's a proper jazzman.
That's exactly what my wife told me to do when I saw this when it came out. Just prior to his solo, I had said something like "Yeah, but Stevie won't take a chorus on Giant Steps." In listening again, I think that Mr. Clarke could have done a bit more than playing all root notes in the bass line, though...
actually no he had the changes, and was prepared to play over them, he just thought it was going to be a ballad and practiced it that way. then when they got together to start recording and coltrane started with a light speed tempo, he just wasn’t prepared to play it that fast
Tommy had no time to practice or absorb what GS was. He was just told to "do it." JC was practicing it like crazy before the recording. He planned and wrote it for himself. People have had a chance to listen to it for almost 6 decades. No, Tommy would not be impressed. He would have expected people to have examined it and moved past it. There was a breakdown in society and people got sick of good music.
Tommy had the Jazz language down 100% no matter what his solo sounded like. I’m not criticizing Stevie (we were both born in the same hospital.) Fun to see him play such a tune. But this isn’t his bag, baby. Kudos to both Tommy (legit jazzer) and Stevie (R&B/Pop) branching out for the music school.
I couldn't ever imagine trying to learn those changes without vision... I can't play over these changes even remotely well and I can see perfectly fine... jeez
@@levarhiggs3174 You haven't played much Liszt or Chopin, have you? Let alone improvised at a higher and more technical level. I guess Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea just aren't very good cause they look at their hands
@@Ted_DiSanti it was just a joke dude! but yes. I’ve played lots of Chopin, not too much Liszt. I’ve soloed over Giant Steps in performance on multiple occasions, multiple keys. Yes, I look at my hands all the time. When improvising, I tend to less as it pulls me out of the moment. In rehearsal, yes, very much so, and I play very slowly pondering every harmonic shape and melodic movement.
@Major2219 Every most of people knowing Stevie by his pop music and forget the roots of American Black Music. I'm a brazilian (and is cause my poor english). Teach music for childrens and, the same way in a history of brazilian music, the history of american music is richfull of superation against the racism. One World ! One People ! Thanks !
It was great. anyone who dogs Stevie needs to take five steps back from the keyboard. It's Stevie Wonder you are about to talk negative about. Enough said. Jazz comes thru in a big way in his writing. He has been my inspiriation since before I went to elementary school and has always been an inspiration in my music. thank you Stevie for all you keep giving. I'm sure so many here feel the same way. Peace.
BLESSED...everyone...please petition that Stevie Wonder gets a biopic done before he is gone off of earth .....Much deserved Honestly...he is timeless...hit after hit after hit.....no controversy...Legendary...please give him his roses before he passes
He doesn't see the keys, yet he plays such a great solo and hits every note with great accuracy and groove .... This is what really astounds me. Great jazz!
Jesus, this comment section is filled with the kind of snobbery usually only found in groups of 19 year olds smoking in between classes at music school. Stevie did a more than adequate job. He's a singer songwriter in the R and B idiom, this is obviously him having fun and stretching out. If I were to pick a Stevie Wonder performance that perfectly encapsulates his remarkable talent, would this be the one? Of course not--but I admire an icon of his stature who really doesn't have anything to prove being a musician FIRST and taking risks. How the fuck else does a musician improve?
I agree for the most part, but there are 2 sides to it: First there's the general public that sees him as the blind super genius who plays over 10 instruments (most of which keyboards) and so forth. Then there are the jazz elitist snobs who see him for nothing more than just some "pop playing pleb". The way I see it, he's a VERY good musician, also great at playing jazz. But is he at that level of giants like Herbie Hancock or Chick Corea? No, by a fairly big margin.
Dimi 3 responding like a complete snob. Isn’t time for you to practice your diminished arpeggios and incorporate them in a V7#9 chord? Appreciate Stevie for what he is: a true musician and a jazz enthusiast/performer. The guy wrote Songs In the Key of Life for Christ sake! You can practically teach a basic jazz course using his music. Take a minute from practicing your Lydian dominant pentatonics and study a bit of voice leading with Stevie.....
@@MAYNOR82 and tell me, what's snobbish about admitting there are 2 sides to an argument? You trying to sound smart? Trust me, with that mentality you aren't going to get much out of debates.
As a jazz pianist of over 30 years, who could play Giant Steps with ease at the age of 19, I find his attempt pretty good, taken into account that his main forte isn't bebop and hard-bop Jazz repertoire. His songs are very simple, but yet quite good. He isn't a Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson or Ahmad Jamaal caliber player. But that isn't his thing.
I'm glad I ran across this video, I forgot how great a pianist Stevie is. Another great blind pianist of a younger generation in Rachel Flowers. Of course, I'm in no way comparing the two.
Thanks for posting this - letting more of the world's people witness the extended talent & genius of Stevie Wonder. The late great Bud powell couldn't have played bop piano any better - fantastic !
Stevie Wonder with Stanley Clarke... doing Giant Steps... LOVE IT.... It's one tough song to improvise over and Stevie never ceases to amaze me with all the varied projects he does... We are blessed to have him!
WOW!!! That just took my already high level of respect and admiration for one of the 20th century's greatest musicians up another notch. Say what you want to say about not calling him a genius, but there aren't a lot of folks that can say they they played Bach, Coltrane, McCartney, Jagger, Marley and so many other styles as well and as fluent as he. That's Genius with a CAPITAL GEE!
Yeah, I never looked at this before. Michael Jackson was a genius when it comes to sing and dance, but regarding compositions etc. Setevie Wonder is the MAN. He is a living Legend and nobody else influnced other muscians like he did. Thumps up
I have "wondered" for a long long time what he would sound like if he did some jazz - such a rare brief part of it here but it's more than I ever thought I'd hear. Thx!
i dont see how you can say such a thing about the king of pop. he is amazing and has a touch for music. Just because he does not play the piano or literally create his music does not mean he is not a musician. It is obvious that his career did not skyrocket just because he could sing a couple notes, a life devoted to music took him to a level not many musicians will EVER get in life. I dont care what anyone says, MJ is a musician.
Definitely not. He's the only one that could probably **also** slay this on chromatic harmonica, though. xD And certainly, nobody could do it just like him. Or blind. Of course, this is why comparisons when it comes to art are small minded and pointless. Even Kenny G has some decent jazz chops. It takes a real lack of gatekeeping to admit that, which you won't often find in youtube comments.
Charlie puth and john mayer were both jazz students at Berkeley and quite accomplished in that field. I don't know if theres any documentation, but if anyone else would be able to do it, it would be them.
Yeah Dude ! Music is freedom ! Coltrane is a Priest ! And ... A LOVE SUPREME !!! *lol Stevie is ... WONDERFUL !! Thanks for your words ! Really ... PRICELESS !!!!!!
