" data-original-title="" title="">Stevie Wonder. He is one of the most important figures in American music, and to celebrate his 70th birthday, Posi-Tone records is releasing Tales of Wonder: A Jazz Celebration of Stevie. This compilation, performed by some of the label's excellent roster of musicians, offers a fitting tribute to this legendary artist. Rather than simply offering something of a greatest hits compilation, Tales of Wonder digs into Wonder's catalog and explores deeper cuts along with some perennial favorites. While his overall career span stretches back to the early 1960s, this collection draws mainly from his classic period of recordings from the 1970s, which makes sense because this was arguably Wonder's most innovative and musically complex period to date.

Tales of Wonder presents a unique blend of jazz styles ranging from mainstream to fusion with several stops between. Of course, it might be easy to simply assume that the variety of music presented here comes mainly from the various interpretations of the songs, but the different styles represented equally reflect Wonder's diversity as a songwriter.

Every song on this compilation is a standout in its own right. Some songs are presented in traditional jazz styles while others venture into different directions. Throughout the album, though, the spirit of Wonder's own inner vision remains intact.

Many of Wonder's songs lend themselves to traditional interpretations. The opening track, "Send One Your Love," for example, offers a straight-ahead jazz take performed by the group