RE: Jamiroquai vs Stevie Wonder

Kimberly Walston (NAC!NACPO!KMW@nacgate.attmail.com)
Mon, 14 Apr 1997 10:05:00 +0000

i am a 7-month fan of jamiroquai, and a 21-year fan of Stevie Wonder.
first, the subject should not be jamiroquai versus stevie: loving one
doesn't betray the other. as to what everyone has been saying: it seems
keiraquai finds stevie's sound dated, as in "that old stevie stuff",
while jamiroquai's music is "unique and fresh". well, that old stevie
stuff is what i listen to, as far as i'm concerned it's not only his best
shit, but some of the best shit ever. and i think the influence of mr.
wonder on jk is incredibly obvious. i can see liking stevie but not
jamiroquai, but the other way around really baffles me...if you have seen
any articles on jason kay's history, he not only freely admits that
stevie is one of his favorites, but talks a lot about disco and other
artists whose sound has moved him. for those who scorn jamiroquai for
what you consider ripping off other music, the first few songs that i
heard, that had me in love with the band: virtual insanity, space cowboy,
sound nothing like stevie wonder. only later, in listening to the lyrics
did i think of stevie wonder. each of jamiroquai's releases, to me, have
completely different sounds, vibes and messages. and would someone
explain how what jamiroquai does is so different from that which plenty
of other respected artists are doing? all music grows from what has come
before, and i think the more influences you have, the richer your sound
is...i have to fall in with keiraquai here and say that the band truly is
doing something different...i know this isn't exactly about "acid jazz",
but i think it mirrors the weird dynamic i've noticed among the fans of
this music, even within each band's fan base. tension and disconnection
between old and new.

jennifer