—by Carol Robbins

I was asked to play for a charity banquet at a local Jewish temple. The group consisted of the leader on piano, a violinist, and me on harp. The pianist informed me that Stevie Wonder was expected to be in attendance. Of course, I am a huge fan. A few months prior, I had the privilege of performing in the orchestra with him at the Hollywood Bowl. One of the songs, “If It’s Magic,” featured many moments with just harp and voice. This was particularly special to me because my beloved late mentor Dorothy Ashby created and recorded the harp part for this song.

We played as around 350 guests found their tables and were seated. Just before the speeches were to begin, the leader hurried over to me to tell me that Stevie Wonder was getting ready to address the audience. He asked whether I knew anything written by the artist that I could quietly play as Stevie walked to the podium. I said that I did. I remembered his key on “If It’s Magic,” and, as I knew the song well from performing it with a female jazz singer, I started to discreetly play it. As Stevie walked by, I was thinking to myself how fabulous it would be to perform it for everyone—just the two of us.

Amazingly, when the applause had subsided, he said, “The harpist knows ‘If It’s Magic!’  Although we have never played it together, maybe we can do it for you now.”  A small voice, which turned out to be mine, piped up and responded, “Oh yes, we have performed it together! We did it at The Hollywood Bowl this summer.”

Well, we performed the song right then and there, and I had the added pleasure of playing it in my own way without having to adhere to a written part. At the Hollywood Bowl, the orchestra was very far up on risers. This experience, by contrast, could not have been more intimate and musically rewarding. My daydream truly became reality. •

—Carol Robbins

Los Angeles, Calif