[Harp-L] RE: Stevie to play Anthem on NBA finals

[Bobbie Giordano <bobg@xxxxxxx>]

Michelle alerted us to Stevie Wonder's appearance at the Pistons' game
tonight on TV for the National Anthem, which I missed by about 20 minutes!!
Sadly for us harmonica lovers, he was scheduled to sing not play it on harp.
Sigh.  The TV producers must have read that "Music" Encyclopedia, ya think?

I do remember seeing Toots play it for Super Bowl one year... well, most of
it!  A little late to that one, too!  :)  SOML!

Here's an article about Stevie's show, with at least some interesting
sidetalk about his ever-delayed new CD release.

Happy Harps!
Bobbie

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>From the Detroit Free Press online edition
http://www.freep.com/sports/pistons/pline14e_20050614.htm


Stevie plays the Palace 

June 14, 2005

Stevie Wonder's arrival this afternoon in his home state, where he'll sing
the national anthem for tonight's Pistons-Spurs game at the Palace, comes as
the Motown Records icon has the music industry guessing -- and increasingly
perplexed -- about his new album.

The much-anticipated "A Time to Love," his first record in more than a
decade, has been touted as a return to classic form for the Saginaw-born
star. But the album's release date has been scheduled and postponed so many
times during the past several months that label and retail executives have
begun wondering exactly what's going on.

In this week's edition of Newsweek, which reports that Motown had spent
$200,000 on billboard advertising before the album's first-nuked release
date, the famously private Wonder offers little in the way of revelation,
saying simply that "this is my statement, my expression" as he continues
toiling on recording sessions.

He has kept himself sequestered in the studio this spring, tinkering with the
material in some cases and adding wholesale changes in others -- including a
new collaboration with Paul McCartney. Sylvia Rhone, Motown's new CEO, tells
Newsweek she expects Wonder to turn in a final version of the album this week.

But first, of course, he has to get through "The Star-Spangled Banner"
tonight on national television, along with a 20-minute pre-game set for
Palace fans, who have been encouraged to arrive early -- as in 8:30 p.m. --
to get settled for the show.

Wonder's accompaniment tonight will include Detroit Symphony Orchestra string
quintet Emmanuelle Boisvert, Geoffrey Applegate, Alexander Mishnaevski,
Robert deMaine and Stephen Molina.

By Brian McCollum, Free Press pop music writer