“Golden Lady” and Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder’s “Golden Lady,” from his landmark 1973 album Innervisions, represents everything that makes Wonder such an extraordinary musician. On the surface, it is a warm and uplifting love song, but underneath it is a sophisticated mixture of soul, funk, pop, rock, and jazz influences. Wonder’s inventive harmonies, memorable melodies, rhythmic feel, and use of keyboards and synthesizers give the song a sound that remains remarkably fresh.

“Golden Lady” also demonstrates Wonder’s strong connection to jazz. Although he has never been primarily considered a jazz musician, jazz harmony, improvisation, and musical experimentation have always been important parts of his work. That connection began early with The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie and continued throughout his career, including collaborations with major jazz artists. More than fifty years later, “Golden Lady” remains a great example of Wonder’s genius: sophisticated music that never sounds complicated, combining remarkable musicianship with an immediately memorable song.

Stevie Wonder

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The Jazz Real Book Playlist Vol 2

Boris Kozlov Interview

Boris Kozlov’s connection to Charles Mingus runs far deeper than simply directing the Mingus Big Band. Growing up in the Soviet Union, Kozlov first encountered Mingus through photocopied music, playing “Pussy Cat Dues” before he had even heard Mingus’s recordings. After moving to New York, hearing Mingus Ah Um proved transformative—Kozlov describes it as such a perfect recording that it could be sent into space as a representation of “what human jazz is.”

Kozlov joined the Mingus Big Band in 1998 as a last-minute substitute and quickly earned Sue Mingus’s confidence. Within weeks, she entrusted him with creating what became Charles Mingus: More Than a Play-Along. Now the band’s frequent musical director, Kozlov brings that nearly three-decade relationship to the group. His philosophy remains wonderfully Mingus-like: don’t imitate the master—use his music to find your own voice.

T.S. Monk Interview

T.S. Monk has built a remarkable career both as a musician and as the steward of his father Thelonious Monk’s extraordinary legacy. A respected drummer, bandleader, composer, and recording artist, he performed with his father as a young musician before establishing his own career, eventually devoting significant energy to preserving and expanding awareness of Monk’s music.

Today, T.S. Monk is helping lead an important new chapter through the Thelonious Monk Estate and Rhythm-A-Ning Entertainment. The newly unearthed and fully restored Monk Live in Paris, 1967 Volume One represents the first official release from the Monk Estate and launches a series devoted to reclaiming rare and previously unauthorized archival recordings.

The Paris recording captures Monk with Charlie Rouse, Larry Gales, and Ben Riley, joined by guests including Phil Woods, Jimmy Cleveland, Ray Copeland, and Johnny Griffin. Volume Two, featuring Clark Terry, is scheduled for October 9, 2026. For T.S. Monk, these releases are about more than rediscovery—they represent preserving, protecting, and reintroducing his father’s revolutionary music for future generations.