“Sir Duke” – Stevie Wonder
(Words/music: Stevie Wonder, available on Songs in the Key of Life, Motown 1976)

Stevie Wonder’s celebration of music (and elegy to the late Duke Ellington) sneaks in a bit of criticism as well.  Even though most of the song celebrates the omnipresence of melody in our souls, Wonder offers a qualifier right at the end of the first verse.  “Just because a record has a groove doesn’t make it in the groove,” he sings, and he’s right.  These are the intangible distinctions music relies upon – the sort that describe the difference between hearing (for instance) a Duke Ellington tune and a Duke Ellington performance.  Anyone who sat through a middle school band concert could tell you the difference between playing the notes and performing the song.  Sometimes I get caught up thinking about the structure of a song or a specific phrase without paying due attention to the people performing it or the way the singer intonates a line.  Simply put, sometimes it’s not about finding the perfect notes – it’s about finding the perfect notes for the performer.

“Sir Duke” falls into that latter category.  Not only are the horn notes, drum licks, and guitar lines meticulously constructed and arranged, Wonder gives it a groove like few others.  It’s one thing to play all of these phrases properly, but it’s another thing entirely to breathe life into such intricate phrases.  Even while his horn section plays those fast runs in unison with the rhythm section, the track never loses its soul.  Instead, Wonder sits back, lets out a joyous whoop, and boogies on into the song’s next section.  It’s hard to imagine “Sir Duke” as performed by anyone else, let alone performed without sacrificing either the musicianship or groove.  Instead, Wonder plays to his entire audience, giving the musicians something to admire and the fans something to feel.  In that sense, he belongs in the same league as the people he’s celebrating in this song.

More on Stevie Wonder: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm