The Wonder of music comes to New Orleans

23rd March 2015   ·   0 Comments

By Geraldine Wyckoff
Contributing Writer

Stevie Wonder, a truly remarkable and influential musician and man, returns to New Orleans to perform at the Smoothie King Center on Tuesday, March 24, 2015. The last time the legendary, multiple-Grammy winning keyboardist, vocalist, harmonica player, composer and producer performed in that venue, which was then called the New Orleans Arena, was in 2006 for the one-year anniversary of Katrina. For that show, he shared the bill with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and gospel vocalist Yolanda Adams among others.

This time, it’s all about the joyfulness, humanity and inner depths of Wonder as he and we celebrate the 1976 release, of his phenomenal, one could say, life changing Motown album Songs from the Key of Life. The tour, of the same name, was extended and gratefully, New Orleans came up on the list of selected cities.

Wonder’s attachments to and performances in New Orleans boast deep roots. Back in 1973, the piano and vocal master made an appearance with the Meters at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. In 1977, he was also double-billed with the “First Lady of Song” Ella Fitzgerald at a Jazz Fest night concert presented at the Municipal Auditorium. Wonder returned to the Fair Grounds in 2008 to give it all, as he always does, to his fans at the Fest.

In the 1980s, Wonder performed at the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena. What made this evening unique was that he sat at a piano atop a revolving stage so that he was always facing, and usually smiling, at the audience. Man…

Wonder made two appearances at the Essence Festival — a natural venue for his soulfulness — once in 1996 and again in 2003. He got a late start for his show in 2003 that began sometime after 1 am. For the faithful that meant the opportunity to move to empty seats ever closer to the stage. Local audience members dug that he used many New Orleans musicians such as saxophonist Kidd Jordan to fill out his orchestra.

From reviews of Wonder’s Songs from the Key of Life tour, we learn that at, for instance, his 2014 appearance at New York’s famous Madison Square Garden, he played the songs in the sequence as they appeared on the album. The reviewer, described the orchestra working behind Wonder as a “small army of musicians.” That description appears to hold true for the musical giant’s show in New Orleans. Playing those incredible and well-loved tunes off the classic album, like the swaying “Isn’t She Lovely” will be a 14-piece band plus background vocalists including Wonder’s daughter, Aisha Morris, for whom that tune was written.

India Arie will be a special guest for the New Orleans evening with harmonica player Yonnett Fred­eric coming in as a featured artist. At previous tour performances, Frederic added his blowing to “Have a Talk with God” and “Mama’s Call” both from the celebrated album. It’s been written that Wonder does add material to his show beyond those from Songs in the Key of Life. Could the exuberant “Fingertips Part II,” the song that in 1963 introduced Little Stevie Wonder as a vocalist and harmonica player to audiences across the land be on the agenda? We hope so.

Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are available on numerous web sites.

A Tribute to the Late Great Doc Paulin

“It’s all hands on deck,” declares Dwayne Paulin on announcing that he and his five musical brothers will be performing together at an upcoming tribute to his father, trumpeter and vocalist Ernest “Doc” Paulin. The band will include trombonists Dwayne and Scott, clarinetist Rickey, bass drummer Aaron, trumpeter Philip and saxophonist/clarinetist Rod­erick Paulin plus pianist Ronell Johnson, tuba man Julius “Jap” McKee and snare drummer Reggie Malone.

The event to be held on Tuesday, March 24, at the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, is the last in the Center’s series, Celebration of Early Brass Bands. Dwayne, who also promises his mother, Betty, will attend, will offer a history of the influential Doc Paulin Band before the group strikes up the music. The repertoire will include tunes associated with Doc like “Margie” and styles such as ragtime that the trumpeter performed early in his career.

It’s no coincidence that most of these siblings play different instruments. Their father chose which instrument each of them would take up. “It’s called simple economics,” Doc Paulin explained in a 1996 interview. “I had to bring them to it (jazz music). When they got good, I’d take them out (on a gig). The way I look at it, you don’t want a house full of trumpet players.”

Doc Paulin was born June 22, 1907 in Wallace, Louisiana. He came into the music through his uncle, trombonist Edgar Peters, who gave him his first cornet. Peters traveled between the country and big city of New Orleans and would often take his nephew with him and introduce him around. “I got to handle myself a little bit,” Paulin once said.

Paulin moved to New Orleans in 1928 and performed with various musicians but soon put together his own band. Before World War II, he played hot spots in the Storyville District as well as on South Rampart Street. In 1949 he married his wife Betty and they raised 13 children in their modest Seventh Street home. After his discharge from the Army, he again led his own traditional jazz ensemble and brass band and was active until his death on November 20, 2007 at the age of 100.

The Doc Paulin Dixieland Jazz Band became a presence on Bourbon Street or as the trumpeter put it, “We had it tied up.” His brass band had several long-standing gigs including leading the Corner Club’s annual Mardi Gras second line since the 1940s. He blew at Preservation Hall when it first opened and fondly remembers heading out to Milneburg Park on Sunday afternoons.

“You had to play everything to make a living – but if you couldn’t play no jazz, you were in trouble. You had to play in a way to make them dance,” said Paulin.

Doc Paulin’s Brass Band was one of the first stops for many up-and-coming musicians including Anthony “Tuba Fats” Lacen, trumpeter Gregg Stafford and clarinetist Michael White. The leader’s strict rules on proper on-the-job attire, his intolerance for tardiness, and stern approach to the music business are legendary. An independent sort, Paulin notably never joined the musicians union.

“I made history because I had so many sons in my band — especially playing this kind of music,” the trumpeter once said. “That’s a wonderful thing.”

Showtime at the Ellis Marsalis Center, 1901 Bartholomew St., is 6:30 p.m. Admission is $3.

This article originally published in the March 23, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.