Pat Bianchi: Something to Say: The Music of Stevie Wonder

When considering pop artists whose music might readily lend itself to a jazz milieu, Stevie Wonder's name isn't one that springs readily to mind. Organist Pat Bianchi, however, felt that Wonder had Something to Say in a jazz context, so he set about canvassing Wonder's art and reimagining it in terms of an organ trio, accentuating the composer's singular gift for melody and harmony and replacing the lyrics with solos by organ, guitar and (in two instances) tenor saxophone.

To fully appreciate the scope of Bianchi's vision, one would of course have to be a fan of Wonder's music; otherwise, what emerges is a sequence of well-drawn but otherwise unexceptional songs performed by an impressive trio: Bianchi, guitarist Paul Bollenback and drummer Byron Landham—with tenor Wayne Escoffery making it a foursome on "Superstition" and "Something to Say." Considered on those terms, Something to Say has a great deal to say, much of it admirable and well worth enjoying.

Wonder wrote every song on the album save one—Bianchi's fast-paced "Just Callin,'" which is a variant of "I Just Called to Say I Love You." Bianchi took pains to assure that Wonder's melodies remained basically as written, which is true of tempos as well, adding improvisation as the jazz component. So fans of the author needn't "wonder" what's going down when the trio sets course on such staples as "Go Home," "Moon Blue," "If It's Magic" or any of the others including perhaps the most recognizable of Wonder's tunes (on this album), "Isn't She Lovely." Bianchi shows he has chops to spare on every one of them, as does Bollenback, while Landham provides sharp and perceptive rhythmic support and weighs in with a heated solo on "Just Callin.'" Escoffery's solos provide effective counterpoint without straying from the hard-bop premise, while Bianchi, whose voice is the most often heard, is always eloquent and in control.

There are two ways to appraise the album: as a tribute to the remarkable talents of Stevie Wonder, or as a series of handsome songs ably performed by a first-class organ-led trio. Either way, the listener wins.

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