[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Jazz Pianist James Austin Jr. is offering a new vibe on some familiar songs.
Songs In The Key of Wonder is a tribute album, of sorts, as Austin does a traditional Jazz take on some of the most iconic tracks from the legendary Stevie Wonder.
Check out a sample from the album. I am really digging Part Time Lover![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/8P6jpKJ4Qms?list=PLZzGU1bpInM7hvz-WCEWqnTH0SDCJPenL” align=”center”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/gGpwoonwVZQ?list=PLZzGU1bpInM7hvz-WCEWqnTH0SDCJPenL” align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Austin was a semifinalist in the 2006 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. He actually met Stevie Wonder while he was there, and that meeting sparked the idea of covering Wonder’s songs.
“Stevie Wonder has written every type of song you can imagine and it’s all beautiful music,” Austin states. “Beginning with my trio arrangement of ‘My Cherie Amour’ a decade ago, I’ve been playing and arranging Stevie’s songs in improvisational idioms. Whenever I threw one into a gig, audiences were keenly receptive…and my objective is to connect with the widest audience possible.”
The album is out now, so you can check it out on your favorite streaming service.
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