Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "the Secret Life of Plants"

Stevie Wonder created the soundtrack for the documentary "The Secret Life of Plants" in 1979. The album was released by Motown as the sequel to Wonder's 1976 Grammy Award-winning "Songs in the Key of Life". Although "The Secret Life of Plants" was not as well-received as "Songs in the Key of Life", some critics still found it compelling.

By the time "Hotter Than July" was released in 1980, Stevie Wonder had spent the '70s making his transition into adulthood by redefining pop music and winning widespread public and critical acclaim (along with a boatload of Grammys). As was usually the case on previous albums, Wonder's first release of the '80s featured him playing a variety of instruments, supported by a number of famous guests including Angela Winbush, Michael Jackson, Betty Wright and members of the Gap Band. The result was an album of breezy love songs, deliciously upbeat pop and a thinly disguised tribute to Bob Marley.

For decades, the Los Angeles jazz community has been fortunate to have bass player Henry 'The Skipper' Franklin in their midst. He's a paragon of jazz consistency, as trusty as they come.

…sound strings of different origins, taken out of the system of a theatrical performance, can interact with each other and tell further intricate stories, both for the musicians and, even more so, for the audience. And as time goes by, more and more new melodies and rhythms emerge in Trio Sordini's sometimes seemingly endless labyrinth of sound. Composition and improvisation, a journey from everywhere to everywhere, an uninterrupted music flow…

With its debut recording, the Bernardini Quartet takes us on a journey into the golden age of its formation, consisting of oboe, violin, viola and cello. The programme consists of a selection of exemplary pieces written between 1780 and 1818 by composers of different nationalities who are united by their diversity. Alongside Alfredo and Cecilia Bernardini, father and daughter, respectively oboist/director and first violin of the Ensemble Zefiro, the members are the German violist Simone Jandl and the Dutch cellist Marcus van den Munckhof.

An Ode to Stevie Wonder. A sensitive journey between soul and jazz. A rediscovery of Stevie Wonder. By revisiting the genius of Stevie Wonder and his most sensitive (and often least known) titles, Monica Shaka offers an album of absolute finesse, where the subtle breath of Amina Mezaache's flute meets the aerial touch of Richard Razafindrakoto and the all-Ravelian bass of Sava Medan.

Stevie Wonder had a record-breaking year in 1984 thanks to the song "I Just Called To Say I Love You" from this soundtrack. The song won an Academy Award, went to number one on charts around the world, and became Motown’s all time biggest-selling single internationally. The soundtrack album, containing other songs from Wonder and featuring Dionne Warwick, sold a million copies in the US and was certified gold or platinum in several other countries. This wasn’t Wonder's first foray into movie music: he had previously recorded the soundtrack to the documentary "The Secret Life Of Plants" in 1979.

Inspired by the prog classics "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" by Rick Wakeman and Bo Hansson's "Lord of the Rings", the prog trio Bresk has made a concept album about the painter Peder Balke's dramatic life. The album "A Journey Through the Life of Peder Balke 1804-1887" will be released on January 28 digitally and on vinyl.