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Smokey Robinson |
ASCAP's Songwriter Night on Capitol Hill consisted of a multi-course gourmet meal of musical delights, all based around the incredible songs of Stevie Wonder. The first performance featured trumpeter Jon Faddis leading a pumping rendition of "Sir Duke", Wonder's homage to jazz. Faddis was followed by vocalist Joan Osborne, who proffered a rousing version of "You Are the Sunshine of My Life".
Brian McKnight then sat down at the piano, performing Stevie's Wonder's "Lately", demonstrating his artistry and musicianship. Next, India.Arie provided the Capitol Hill audience with a sensitive reading of "Heaven is Ten Zillion Light Years Away," leading into Wyclef Jean's roof-raising performance of Stevie's reggae-inspired "Master Blaster." Up next, Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson created duet magic on "Until You Come Back to Me," a Stevie Wonder song made famous by Aretha Franklin.
When her turn came, jazz star Dianne Reeves sang a hauntingly lovely version of a song co-written by Wonder and Herbie Hancock, titled "Never Said". Chaka Khan followed up with a funky adaptation of her debut hit with the band, Rufus - the Stevie Wonderpenned "Tell Me Something Good". After the steam settled, country superstar Wynonna and vocalist Robert Bailey went for broke on an uplifting duet on Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours".
Following the applause, Smokey Robinson, who met Stevie at the start of his career, performed the chart-topping hit which he co-wrote with Stevie Wonder, "Tears of a Clown." Tony Bennett capped off the night by joining musical forces with Stevie as the two reprised their Grammy-winning duet on "For Once In My Life," a song each one recorded in the mid-1960s. Then Stevie took the stage to perform a memorable medley concluding with the Oscar-winning "I Just Called to Say I Love You."
