The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie

The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie
Studio album by
Little Stevie Wonder
ReleasedSeptember 1962
StudioHitsville USA, Detroit
Genre
Length29:51
LanguageInstrumental[3]
LabelTamla
ProducerHenry Cosby, Clarence Paul
Little Stevie Wonder chronology
The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie
(1962) 		Tribute to Uncle Ray
(1962)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Tom HullB[3]

The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie is the debut studio album by Little Stevie Wonder, released in September 1962 on Tamla Records.[4]

Overview

The album showcases the 12-year-old Wonder's talents as a composer and instrumentalist. As with Eivets Rednow Wonder doesn't sing at all on this album. Since he only plays percussion, the keyboard, and the harmonica. Clarence Paul and Henry Cosby wrote and produced most of the album, though Wonder co-wrote two tunes. The original studio version of "Fingertips" is included on the album; a live version would become Wonder's first hit single.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

Bruce Eder of Allmusic praised the album saying, "Stevie Wonder's debut album, released when he was 11, is still an amazing musical document, showcasing his skills as a percussionist (drums and bongos), chromatic harmonica player, keyboardist (piano and organ), and composer -- and he was prodigious in all four categories. All of these skills are highlighted throughout this record, and Wonder's youthful, exuberant voice had a maturity suggesting that greatness was around the corner...What's more, a lot of what's here is extremely sophisticated instrumental music for its time, and the "jazz" reference in the title is not a matter of optimistic convenience or self-aggrandizement—a lot of this is legitimate jazz."[1]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Little Stevie on:Length
1."Fingertips"
bongos2:54
2."The Square"
  • Cosby
  • Paul
harmonica2:58
3."Soul Bongo"
bongos2:23
4."Manhattan at Six"
  • Paul
  • Cosby
drums3:40
5."Paulsby"
  • Paul
  • Cosby
organ and harmonica2:44
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Little Stevie on:Length
1."Some Other Time"
  • Cosby
  • Paul
harmonica5:08
2."Wondering"
organ2:51
3."Session Number 112"
  • Wonder (as Judkins)
  • Paul
piano and harmonica3:17
4."Bam"Berry Gordy, Jr.harmonica3:35

References

  1. ^ a b c d Eder, Bruce. "The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie – Stevie Wonder". AllMusic. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  2. ^ Breihan, Tom (November 15, 2022). "The Supremes - "Where Did Our Love Go". The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music. New York: Hachette Book Group. p. 56.
  3. ^ a b c Hull, Tom (November 2013). "Recycled Goods (#114)". A Consumer Guide to the Trailing Edge. Tom Hull. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Stevie Wonder (September 1962). The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie (album). Tamla Records.
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