NYU is awesome for many reasons, but one of the most important ones is the way the university regularly introduces students to experts in their chosen fields. Classes at NYU have been known to play host to comic luminaries like Jon Stewart and Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and moviemakers like Spike Lee and James Franco.
This semester, the course ”Topics in Recorded Music: Stevie Wonder”, taught by two-time Grammy award winning producer Harry Weinger, more than lived up to its insanely cool course description. On the first day of class, Stevie Wonder himself showed up, which brought one anonymous student to tears.
It was fitting then, that the last day of class would bring more guest appearances from musical luminaries: Amir “Questlove” Thompson, legendary jazz bassist Christian McBride, and DJ Spinna, who, according to Questlove, “has a doctorate in Wonderology.” These three men, along with Professor Weinger, lead a spirited and immensely articulate discussion on the history of Stevie’s music, the personal impact it had on their lives, and the history of soul.
Questlove and Spinna were the first to arrive (McBride was stuck in traffic). Questlove immediately launched into how he fell in love with Stevie Wonder’s music. “I spoke with every hip-hop producer I know, that I respect, and we all had the same genesis. It was that one episode of The Cosby Show.” Several in the class nodded in agreement. The episode in question, entitled “A Touch of Wonder,” featured Stevie Wonder recording with the Huxtable family after Denise crashes her car into his limo.
Questlove’s personal anecdotes were all pretty fascinating. As the son of a doo-wop singer, he spent his entire life surrounded by music. Questlove said he felt his DJ career had eclipsed his personal music career in a lot of respects, and it’s easy to see why. As a kid, he was surrounded by thousands of records. His father collected easy listening (“he was the only black man I ever knew who owned ‘Pet Sounds’”); his mother dug through dollar record crates to find samples she might like; and his sister, who attended a predominantly white school, listened to Led Zeppelin and Bowie.
But Stevie Wonder records were a uniting factor, and when they were released they were always an event in the Thompson house (especially during the “genius period”). “We would analyze the entire album, even the cover. The fonts, the liner notes, everything,” said Questlove. Stevie Wonder albums were a huge part of the drummer’s childhood. When discussing The Secret Life of Plants, he said, “I used to just sit and imagine it, even without any video.”
Stevie Wonder was a major influence on Questlove’s drumming. He described how Stevie’s drumming was actually kind of sloppy. “I’m so inspired by Stevie’s cymbal playing, he said. “It’s so fiery. I would take my hat off to him, if I could wear a hat.”
“I’ve always gravitated toward more passionate drummers,” he said. “Maybe because my dad was so into technical playing. Not that I’m trying to make out my dad as the Joe Jackson of my life.”
Questlove also described the greatest night of his life. It was an evening where he played with Stevie in Prince’s living room whilst Joni Mitchell “did a drunk girl dance.” It sounded like the greatest night anyone has ever had, ever.
Christian McBride also had some deeply personal Stevie tales. Christian and Questlove grew up in the same neighborhood in Philadelphia, and attended the same high school. Both had fathers who were musicians, and both described themselves as, by age eight, “adults in the language of music.” At age four, upon hearing Songs in the Key of Life, Christian wondered how an album could “be so long, and yet so memorable.” When discussing Stevie’s creative genius, he declared that there was a reason there is a class on Stevie Wonder, and that he belongs in the cannon of classical American composers like George Gershwin and Irving Berlin.
McBride started playing the electric bass as a nine year-old, and tried as hard as possible to make it sound like Stevie. He couldn’t copy the bass playing until he realized that Stevie wasn’t using a bass at all, and that was he was trying to copy was a sound effect on the keyboard. “I’ve been greatly influenced by Stevie’s left hand, ” he said.
Christian and Questlove discussed topics beyond Stevie Wonder. In a sociological examination of the past twenty years of music, Questlove pointed to 1992 as the beginning of “The Age of Irony.” He showed how two major musical stars of the year, Kurt Cobain and Puff Daddy reflected differences in white and black culture. Kurt Cobain rejected any trappings of wealth and fame, whilst Puff rapped about Bentleys and swimming in money, or whatever Puffy did with his millions. It was a show of class reversal.
Questlove and Christian both discussed the death of soul music. Both attributed it to a dearth of spirituality in our society. When asked if he had any current favorite male singers (besides D’Angelo, a frequent subject), Christian said no. “There aren’t singers coming up through the church anymore,” he said. Questlove stated that some of Stevie Wonder’s greatest contributions to the world weren’t his music: they were his philanthropic works and the love he projected, something you don’t see as much of anymore. “I think if Stevie wasn’t born blind, he might be regarded differently, ” said Questlove. “But he can’t see to judge us.”
The conversation went on for an hour and a half. It was the most thought-provoking discussion of music we’ve ever had the privilege to hear. Other topics tackled included the genius of Prince, Chaka Khan, the new D’Angelo record (Questlove says it’s dropping soon!), and both Questlove and Christian’s terrible prom night experiences. Christian said that “You’ve Got It Bad Girl” always makes him cry, and he listened to it all day before his prom. For both musicians, everything seems to have gone uphill since prom.
The class concluded with DJ Spinna, creator of amazing Stevie Wonder tribute parties, presenting his top five Stevie Wonder songs, and top five tracks Stevie Wonder contributed to but were not featured on a Stevie Album. Here they are:
Top Five Stevie Wonder Songs:
1. Too High
4. Superwoman (Where Were You When I Need You)
Top Five Stevie Wonder Contributions:
1. I Can’t Help It- Michael Jackson
2. Take A Little Trip- Minnie Riperton
5. The Real Thing- Sergio Mendes
(image via)
that sounds amazing. any chance someone taped the lecture? youtube please?