The Master Blaster

Greatest hits and thoughts of his late mother bring Wonder's first us tour in over а decade to an emotional finale. Geoff Brown was there.

WE THOUGHT we had come to the final night of a tour promoting the release of a 20song best of CD, Number Ones. Instead the last show of Stevie Wonder's Summer Nights tour, his first LIS jaunt in over a decade, was a fulfilling, emotional and ecstatic celebration of his music and of the life of his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, who died on May 31, 2006.
Wonder is still clearly exorcising his grief. At 8.15pm he is led on-stage at this 5,000capacity `tent' on Boston's waterfront by his daughter, Aisha Morris, she who first appeared as a burbling babe on Isn't She Lovely in 1976, shortly after her birth. After a few introductory pleasantries, his thoughts turn to his mother's death. "Unexpected, you're never really ready for that," he says, pensively. "I was not ready for her to go, but God wanted her to be with him." Wonder had cancelled gigs, but soon heard the wise voice of Lula Mae: "Boy! You better get your ass out there and get yourself together!"
Thank you, he adds later, for buying his records, "and giving my mother a better life than she ever expected." He then proceeds to show us how much his music has enriched our lives, as hit singles and album track classics pour out for two-and-a-half hours organically churning funk
workouts with hard political of the insights and sharp social points,sweet-not-sickly ballads
tumbling over each other in a tOtje mighty exposition of one of the genuinely great songbooks of the 1960s-80s. And, praise be, no superfluous solo features for a tight, swinging, funky band.
As he eases in to Love's In Need Of Love Today the band stroll on one by one: two ercussionists, drummer Chris Johnson, bassist Nathan Watts, two guitarists, two additional keyboards layers, and three singers including Aisha. His long sets have always been structured as a series of suites with songs segueing into one another - Too High, by turns funky and jazzy, then Visions, his spatial, dreamy imagining of Utopia, before the urgent drive of Living For The City that powers straight into Master Blaster.
Other highlighs are Higher Grouted, where the funk is almost overwhelming, and a Golden Lady that glides through gear changes as guitar and keyboard extemporisations draw out the song's jazzier changes, while a stronger samba lilt reinvents Ribbon In The Sky.As the set meanders briefly, Wonder plays the intro to He's Misstra Know It AU, thinks better of it and calls out send One Your Love, the only petal on Joumey Through The Secret Life Of Plants. How Will I Know, а duet with Aisha, is а sweet conversation between father and daughter, before the mood and tempo lifts again when the percussionists drum up а whirlwind of congas to introduce а joyous Don't You Worry 'Bout А Thing.
Ninety minutes in and it's set to get even hotter as he switches attention back to the '60s with signed, Sealed, Delivered, which gets tonight's biggest roar. Wonder often uses anecdotes as а way into his music, like his '60s story of trying to persuade а young lady at the Regal Theatre, Chicago to go back with him to his hotel. Eventually, she agrees to meet him in his room, later. Of course, she brings her mother. Not fazed, he presses his case, breathing sweet nothings into her ear about this new song he wrote just for her. "You," she sniffs, "ain't gittin' nothin' but а kiss and а smile." Не plays Му Cherie Amour.
For Once In Му Life (girls on а night out hold phones aloft to send the song home to loved ones) and an exuberant I Was Made То Love Her - dropping to one knee like а soul testifier - strongly suggest that although those vastly satisfying and influential 1970s works of real genius are universally admired, it's the '60s hits we viscerally love. All I Do, Boogie On Reggae Woman, Sir Duke, I Wish (false endings somewhat fluffed), Isn't She Lovely and You Are The
self set to а storming finish with superstition and As. Lu1a Мае would've been proud of him tonight.
А final raw memory, midway in the set: Wonder begins the ballad Lately, but the poignant lyric, stripped bare by his recent loss, stills his voice. Не soldiers on, openly weeping at the keyboards. Aisha crosses the stage to comfort him. Не has not seemed as emotionally naked on-stage since his 1974 London concerts at the Rainbow, shortly after his near-fatal car crash - the genuine artist, still leaning on his art to figure out life.
Setlist:
Love's in Need Of Love Today / Too High / Visions / Living For The City /Master Blaster (Jammin') / Higher Ground / Golden Lady / Ribbon Iп The Sky / Overjoyed/All Iп Love 1s Fair / Lately /Send One Your Love / How Will I Know / Don't You Worry 'Bout А Thing / Signed, Sealed, Delivered Yours / Му Cherie Amour / For Once 1п Му Life / I Was Made То Love Her/All I Do/Do I Do / Boogie On Reggae Woman/Sir Duke / I Wish / Isn't She Lovely / Sunshine Of Му Life / Superstition / As
from MOJO!