Avsnitt
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Jazz musicians Adam Maness and Peter Martin review their three favorite songs from Michael Jackson's most iconic albums: Bad, Thriller and Off the Wall. And their choices aren't what you might expect.
Plus - Adam, Peter and the Open Studio band play their jazzy interpretation of Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal.
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Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/------------------------------
Off the Wall: https://youtu.be/jR9zxGueeq4
Thriller: https://youtu.be/KZx6W3SI8JA
Bad: https://youtu.be/XgcI9LkZqeo
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About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
00:00 The Top 3 Songs on Bad, Thriller and Off the Wall
00:55 #3
05:02 #2
12:23 #1
16:40 "Smooth Criminal" - Open Studio -
Adam Maness brings you the freshest releases of May 2026!
0:00 Intro
0:50 Jeff Parker
https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/happy-today
3:45 Greg Hutchinson
https://www.allmusic.com/album/kind-of-now-mw0004778588
6:15 Chris Potter
https://chrispotterjazz.bandcamp.com/album/alive-with-ghosts-today
9:09 New Jazz Underground
https://www.allmusic.com/album/hoodies-mw0004791891
11:04 Virginia MacDonald
https://virginiamacdonald.bandcamp.com/album/in-search-of
13:00 Harry Skoler
https://harryskoler1.bandcamp.com/album/echoes
15:05 Laurie Anderson & Sexmob
https://laurieanderson.bandcamp.com/album/let-x-x-live
17:06 Alabaster DePlume
https://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/dear-children-of-our-children-i-knew-epilogue
19:31 Ben Wolfe
https://benjonah.bandcamp.com/album/any-time-after-now
21:30 Joe Lovano
https://joelovano.com/recordings/paramount-quartet/ -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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Sonny Rollins passed away this week at 95. Jazz pianists Peter and Adam are listening through the recordings that defined his career and made him one of the most influential musicians in jazz history.
From his earliest bebop tunes to Saxophone Colossus to A Night at the Village Vanguard, they trace the arc of a player who kept raising the bar on himself even when the rest of the world thought he'd already cleared it. Plus - they talk through the legendary Williamsburg Bridge sabbatical: two years of practicing up to 16 hours a day.
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About You'll Hear It:In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
00:00 Sonny Rollins (1930-2026)
00:37 Celebrating Sonny Rollins: Opening Tribute
04:54 Sonny as the Bridge Between Bebop Generations
05:57 "Autobahn"
09:47 "Pent-Up House"
12:56 "I'll Remember April"
16:10 "Oleo"
17:32 "Tenor Madness"
19:32 "More Than You Know"
21:19 "The Way You Look Tonight"
22:51 "Bemsha Swing" with Clark Terry
24:00 Is Sonny Rollins the Most Influential Tenor Saxophone Player of All Time?
28:01 "St. Thomas" from Saxophone Colossus
34:40 "I'm an Old Cowhand" from Way Out West
36:14 "A Night at the Village Vanguard" (Afternoon Set)
39:00 "Wonderful! Wonderful!"
40:50 The Williamsburg Bridge Sabbatical
44:04 "Without a Song"
46:29 Later Career: 1970s - 2012
49:13 "Blue Seven" -
Miles Davis's Kind of Blue is one of the greatest albums of all time - possibly THE greatest. But it's not perfect.
In this special episode of You'll Hear It, jazz pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness break down this classic record, track-by-track, to uncover why it has become so legendary. They dig into what's really going on in the music during this album's best moments: Miles's trumpet solo on "So What", Wynton Kelly's piano solo on "Freddie Freeloader", John Coltrane's entrance on "Blue in Green".
Plus - we learn more about what Miles was doing in his early years, his break from bebop, what he thought of Bill Evans's approach, and the production and engineering techniques that give Kind of Blue its unique sound.
Miles Davis was born just outside of St. Louis 100 years ago this week. To celebrate his centennial birthday, Adam and Peter filmed this episode in front of a live audience at The Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis, MO.
Chapters Legend:
🎧 Listening to a track 🎹 Music theory breakdown 🎵 Live studio jam-------------------------------
Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com------------------------------
Related YHI VideosSteamin', Relaxin', Workin', Cookin': https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cookin-relaxin-workin-and-steamin-miles-davis-quintet/id1342674932?i=1000762361399
Someday My Prince Will Come: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/someday-my-prince-will-come-miles-davis/id1342674932?i=1000724354435
Birth Of the Cool: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/miles-first-masterpiece-birth-of-the-cool/id1342674932?i=1000710841989
My Funny Valentine: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/miles-greatest-album-youre-welcome/id1342674932?i=1000700565428-------------------------------
About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
00:00 Kind of Blue - Miles Davis
5:45 🎧 Bebop and Miles Davis's Early Years
10:56 Bill Evans and Miles Davis
11:48 🎧 "So What"
20:49 KOB Is NOT A Perfect Album?
26:59 Miles On Bill Evans's Approach
32:13 🎧 "Freddie Freeloader"
41:31 🎧 "Blue In Green"
44:38 How They Made That KoB Sound
50:02 🎧 "All Blues"
58:20 🎧 "Flamenco Sketches"
1:02:44 Is It Perfect?
1:04:56 🎧 Outakes
1:06:38 Categories: Desert Island Tracks & Apex Moments
1:11:20 How Snobby Is This Album?
1:16:21 What To Listen To Next
1:19:13 🎵 "So What" - Open Studio -
Herbie Hancock's Thrust (1974) is one of the most influential jazz-funk records ever made. Peter Martin and Adam Maness break down the full album, track-by-track: Mike Clark's displaced backbeats, why Paul Jackson is such an unusual bass player and possibly the greatest Rhodes solo of all time. Plus - Adam shares a story about learning "Spank-A-Lee" at 16, and Peter tells us about meeting Paul Jackson for the first time. And ... is "Actual Proof" ACTUALLY the best track on the album?
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Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi------------------------------
Maiden Voyage: https://youtu.be/ZQ6ICxe2wjE
Head Hunters: https://youtu.be/wM-_44deuSY
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About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
00:00 Thrust - Herbie Hancock
00:30 Herbie Before Thrust: Miles & The Headhunters
03:01 Drummer Mike Clark Joins the Band
03:35 🎧 "Palm Grease"
11:10 Why Paul Jackson Was So Unusual
13:07 🎧 "Actual Proof"
24:23 Our Relationship to Thrust
29:57 🎧 "Butterfly"
38:34 Peter's Paul Jackson Story
43:02 🎧 "Spank-A-Lee"
52:47 Categories: Desert Island Tracks, Apex Moments, Snobometer
57:09 The MOST Controversial Moment in YHI History -
Could Parliament be the most important band of the 1970s? Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin break down Parliament's 1975 masterpiece Mothership Connection track-by-track: Bootsy Collins bass lines that launched a thousand samples, grooves that lock you in and won't let go, and the New Orleans connection that George Clinton says started the whole thing. Plus: isolated bass and drums stems.
You'll never hear Parliament the same way again.
Chapters Legend:
🎧 Listening to a track 🎹 Music theory breakdown 🎵 Live studio jam-------------------------------
Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi-------------------------------
About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
00:00 Parliament's Mothership Connection (1975)
01:07 MASTERCLASS In Funk
02:44 Who Is Parliament?
07:59 🎧 "Mothership Connection"
10:15 🎧 BEST Moment of 1975
14:48 Isolated Stems On "Mothership Connection"
18:34 Influence Of Mothership Connection
20:15 🎧 "Unfunky UFO"
23:10 🎧 "Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication"
27:23 Mysticism and Meaning of Parliament
33:48 🎧 "Handcuffs"
35:54 🎧 "Give Up the Funk"
44:13 🎧 "Night Of the Thumpasorus Peoples"
46:44 Categories: Desert Island Tracks, Apex Moments, Spotify Playlist
48:13 Is This the Most Important Band Of the 70s
51:05 What to Listen to Next -
Join Adam Maness as he delves into the best new music released in April 2026 (ish). This month we're featuring the incredible microtonal Angine de Poitrine and many more!
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YHI + McBride = Ray Charles?! Christian McBride - bassist, Grammy winner and one of the greatest musical minds working today - joins Adam and Peter on You'll Hear It to share his desert island album.
If you know Christian, you know that his musical hero is James Brown. But Christian isn't bringing a James Brown pick. Instead, he's bringing one from his hero's hero ... Ray Charles.
This album was a risky move for Charles - unlike anything else he'd released at that time. At the peak of his power, he set aside the qualities that made him famous: his voice and his piano.
This one's a deep cut. But once you listen, you'll never hear Ray Charles the same way again.
Chapters Legend:
🎧 Listening to a track 🎹 Music theory breakdown 🎵 Live studio jam-------------------------------
Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi------------------------------
Jazz Organ LEGEND Reveals Favorite Tracks: https://youtu.be/MGMmJ1Jhx6U
-------------------------------
About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
00:00 Ray Charles - Genius + Soul = Jazz
01:05 Why James Brown Fans LOVE This Album
4:41 🎧 "From the Heart"
11:30 Funk Starts HERE
13:51 🎧 "I've Got News For You"
19:35 🎧 "Moanin'"
24:18 Roy Haynes LOVED This Album
26:46 🎧 "Let's Go"
31:03 🎧 "One Mint Julep"
34:30 The Quincy Jones-Ray Charles Factor
37:56 🎧 "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town"
42:08 🎧 "Strike Up the Band"
44:53 Desert Island Tracks
47:40 What's With That Organ Sound?
52:30 The Best Moments on Genius + Soul = Jazz
53:28 What to Listen to Next
58:34 Better Than Kind of Blue? -
Check out Adam’s course for more on Kid A and the harmony of Radiohead: https://osjazz.link/radiohead
You've never heard Kid A like THIS. Jazz musicians Adam Maness and Peter Martin break down Radiohead's 2000 art rock MASTERPIECE track-by-track to uncover what's really happening in the music that makes this album so incredible.
Why do we love Radiohead's Kid A so much? Watch to find out.
PLUS - Jazz musicians play Radiohead's "Everything In Its Right Place". One shot, one take, no AI. FULL video: https://youtu.be/c5w9BHKe0rc
-------------------------------
About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
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Hidden artifacts from the albums we love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
Chapters Legend:
🎧 Listening to a track 🎹 Music theory breakdown 🎵 Live studio jam00:00 Radiohead - Kid A
00:58 This is Adam's Super Bowl
03:40 How Do They Get Away with This?!
05:39 🎧 Where Radiohead Started
08:29 🎧 OK Computer: Something's Happening Here
15:17 Yorke's Creative Crisis
18:09 🎧 "Everything In Its Right Place"
22:44 Isolated Stems on "Everything In Its Right Place"
24:53 Why Jazz Musicians Love Radiohead
27:35 The Genius Rhythm in "Everything"
30:00 Did Kid A Predict the Future?
31:04 🎧 "Kid A"
33:28 How Radiohead Cracked the Code
34:07 Bluegrass Cover of "Kid A"
35:27 🎧 "The National Anthem"
40:55 What Peter ACTUALLY Thinks of Kid A
46:19 🎧 "How To Disappear Completely"
52:09 🎧 "Treefingers"
55:10 What Genre Is This?
58:30 🎧 "Optimistic"
1:00:58 🎹 A Lesson in Modal Interchange
1:05:00 🎧 "In Limbo"
1:08:04 🎹 Adam Breaks Out the Keyboard
1:10:44 🎧 "Idioteque"
1:13:22 Isolated Stems on "Idioteque"
1:14:43 🎧 "Morning Bell"
1:16:35 🎹 The Chromatic Mediant in Kid A
1:19:50 🎧 "Motion Picture Soundtrack"
1:22:28 🎧 The Most BRILLIANT Album Ending
1:24:19 Best Moments on Kid A
1:32:21 What to Listen to Next
1:32:42 Better Than Voodoo?
1:33:49 🎵 "Everything In Its Right Place" -
Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin' capture Miles Davis on one of music history's most remarkable upswings. He had recently become clean after a years-long heroin addiction that led to his exclusion from major record labels and clubs. And now, in 1956, he had a deal with Columbia - the Cadillac of record labels - and a band he loved: Red Garland on piano, Philly Joe Jones on drums, Paul Chambers on bass and John Coltrane playing the sax.
In this episode of You'll Hear It, jazz pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness go through each album. They discuss the outsized influence of Ahmad Jamal, Red Garland's Red spread technique, the power of Miles's chatter on Relaxin' and whether this is the greatest rhythm section in the history of recorded music.
Whether this is your first introduction to Miles Davis, or you've been listening to these albums for years, you'll walk away from this episode with a new understanding of, and appreciation for, Miles and his first great quintet.
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Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi------------------------------
Some Day My Prince Will Come: https://youtu.be/a_Ygq74SjvQ
Birth of the Cool: https://youtu.be/eEl9-z6G2tU
My Funny Valentine: https://youtu.be/-9mMbZMtyGs
-------------------------------
About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
0:00 Miles Davis - Cookin', Relaxin', Workin' & Steamin'
0:47 The Comeback Story
5:17 Miles & Monk at Newport '55
8:54 "My Funny Valentine"
11:09 Miles to Red: 'Play Like Ahmad Jamal'
13:51 "Blues by Five"
17:39 BTS: Trane Comes Into His Own
21:06 Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet
22:40 "If I Were a Bell"
29:59 "You're My Everything"
32:54 The POWER of Miles's Intro Chatter
36:40 "Oleo"
38:15 "It Never Entered My Mind"
41:58 "Four"
46:44 Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet
48:25 "Surrey with the Fringe on Top"
53:22 "Salt Peanuts"
55:08 "Well You Needn't"
55:30 "When I Fall in Love"
56:27 "If I Were a Bell" Over the Years
58:03 Desert Island Tracks
58:36 Apex Moments -
Marvin Gaye's I Want You could be one of his greatest albums, and he didn't even write it. Producer Leon Ware wrote most of the songs for himself. Marvin Gaye was only supposed to record the title track. But he heard Leon playing a demo of the album one night and stayed up listening until morning. The next day, he asked Ware if he could have the whole thing.
In this episode, Peter and Adam break down why the title track, "I Want You", might be one of his best songs, and whether the rest of the album can possibly live up to it.
This episode was recorded before the passing of James Gadson (June 17, 1939 – April 2, 2026), the drummer on I Want You. Gadson was one of the defining session drummers of 1970s soul. He was the drummer behind "Lean On Me," "I Will Survive," "Express Yourself", and the groove that powers this very album. Rest in peace, James.
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Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi------------------------------
Adam and Peter break down Marvin Gaye's What's Going On: https://youtu.be/PHowrEiaInQ
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About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
00:00 I Want You - Marvin Gaye
00:39 Welcome: You'll Hear It from Open Studio
01:53 Who is Leon Ware? The Man Behind the Music
07:23 "I Want You"
14:39 The Keys Are Back! Breaking Down "I Want You"
16:52 Isolated Stems on "I Want You"
20:53 Can the Rest of the Album Live Up to Track 1?
21:52 Kendrick Lamar's Interpolation
25:27 "Come Live With Me Angel"
28:20 "After the Dance"
31:11 "Feel All My Love Inside"
35:03 "I Wanna Be Where You Are"
38:18 "All the Way Around": The Best Moment On the Album?
40:07 "Since I Had You"
42:07 "Soon I'll Be Loving You Again"
43:40 "After the Dance"
45:16 "After the Dance (Vocal)"
46:41 Desert Island Tracks / Apex Moments / Bespoke Playlist Title
55:00 Snob-o-Meter / Better Than? / Accoutrements
58:00 Leon Ware Released HIS Version the Same Year
59:44 GALA + Thank You
1:01:23 Coda: "I Want You" feat. Brian Owens + James Gadson Tribute -
Buena Vista Social Club: The album so good it's life-affirming. And it almost didn't happen.
In 1996, an American musician landed in Cuba to record a music project with Malian musicians. But when they didn't show up, Ry Cooder and his producer, Juan de Marcos González, went looking for replacements.
That's when they found Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer and Rubén González, who had seen their musical prime decades earlier in the 40s and 50s. Compay was nearing his 90s, and some believed he had died, until he showed up on Buena Vista Social Club. Rubén hadn't played in years, and didn't even own a piano.
But together with a cast of all-star Cuban musicians, they created what would become the best-selling world music album of all time.
How did Buena Vista Social Club become a global phenomenon?
In this episode of You'll Hear It, Peter Martin and Adam Maness listen to the record track-by-track to understand what makes this album so magnetic, and how it holds up 30 years later. Plus - a FIRST in You'll Hear It history.
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Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi-------------------------------
About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
00:00 - Buena Vista Social Club
00:55 - Why This Episode is NEXT LEVEL
06:59 - "Chan Chan"
10:24 - The Story of Buena Vista Social Club
14:34 - "De Camino a la Vereda"
16:27 - "El Cuarto de Tula"
20:09 - "Pueblo Nuevo (Danzón)"
24:26 - "Dos Gardenias"
26:12 - "Y Tú Qué Has Hecho?"
28:15 - "Veinte Años"
29:49 - Omara's On Stage Shout Out to Peter
31:09 - "El Carretero"
32:33 - "Candela"
34:38 - "Amor de Loca Juventud"
35:55 - "Orgullecida"
37:03 - "Murmullo"
39:48 - "Buena Vista Social Club (Title Track)"
44:38 - "La Bayamesa"
46:12 - Peter's BIG Reveal
47:40 - The BEST Moments on BVSC
49:33 - Categories: Bespoke Playlists, Quibble Bits and Snobometer
51:52 - What to Listen to Next
54:19 - Open Studio Plays "Chan Chan" -
What happens when you put three of jazz's biggest personalities in a studio for a day? You get Money Jungle: Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach. Can it work? Miles Davis hated it. Others revere it. And the story behind this album is WILD.
It's perhaps the most tense album we've ever listened to. And this episode of You'll Hear It is possibly the most we have ever disagreed about an album! Listen for the music, the hot takes, or just to see what all the fuss is about. No matter your reason for listening to this episode, you'll never hear Money Jungle the same way again.
-------------------------------Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi-------------------------------
Related You'll Hear It episodes:
Mingus Ah Um: https://youtu.be/XYeRZ0Awui4
Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington: https://youtu.be/Z5YJr2iLG74
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About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
00:00 - Money Jungle: Ellington, Mingus, Roach
01:00 - Can This Record Work?
05:06 - "Money Jungle": Mingus is Menacing!
09:15 - What Was Really Happening That Day
12:17 - Musical Context Leading Up to Money Jungle
14:15 - "Fleurette Africaine": Stunning Bass Work
17:00 - Must Great Artists Make Great Art? Not Always
20:18 - Why Money Jungle Keeps Showing Up on "Greatest" Lists
23:45 - "Very Special": Can This Song Win Over Peter?
27:07 - One Week Later: Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
29:32 - Adam's Hot Take: Duke's Magnificent Final Act
36:43 - "A Warm Valley": That Piano Sound!
39:35 - "Wig Wise": Sounding Like Monk. Can You Hear It?
42:59 - We Don't Talk About This Enough In Jazz
45:27 - "Caravan": Best Moment on Money Jungle
48:18 - Or Is THIS the Best Moment on Money Jungle?
52:25 - Want to Learn to Play Like Duke? Join Open Studio!
55:55 - "Solitude": A Musical F-You to End the Album
1:02:42 - Is This a "Emperor Has No Clothes" Situation?
1:03:40 - Desert Island Tracks + Bespoke Playlists
01:05:40 - Quibble Bits ... Do We Even Need to Ask?
01:08:48 - How Snobby Is This Album?
01:10:35 - What to Listen to Next
01:11:18 - Have We Ever Disagreed This Much? Wrap-Up -
We're looking at the best jazz releases of March 2026! Listen with pianist Adam Maness as he breaks down and reacts to these great tracks.
Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://osjazz.link/yhi -
Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington: The musicians on this album were already legends when it came out in 1955.
Each of them completely reinvented how people play their instruments. Drummer Kenny Clarke: the originator of so much of modern drumming language. Bass player Oscar Pettiford: possibly the greatest bass soloist in the history of the instrument. And then there's Monk, one of the singular greatest pianists of all time. And here they are playing the music of Duke Ellington: an untouchable legend.
The result is an album that brought Monk's genius to the masses. And it may just be one of his best. In this LIVE episode of You'll Hear It, jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin break down this remarkable moment in music history, playing Monk's interpretations next to Duke's originals.
If you've never really got Monk, this album is your gateway into his music. And if you're already a fan, you'll never hear this album the same way again.
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Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi-------------------------------
About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
0:00 - "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"
2:07 - You'll Hear It Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center
6:02 - The Story of Thelonious Monk
8:24 - First Official Recording: Coleman Hawkins Quartet (1944)
10:21 - Keepnews Big Idea to Bring Monk to the Masses
14:46 - "It Don't Mean a Thing": Duke's original vs. Monk's version
20:40 - Bassist Oscar Pettiford's Sophisticated Musical Language
24:10 - Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald's Version
27:38 - "Sophisticated Lady"
31:44 - "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good"
35:08 - Bet You Can't Guess This Singer
39:10 - "Black and Tan Fantasy": Duke (1927) vs. Monk
42:30 - Oscar Pettiford Plays "Basso Profundo" with Duke Ellington
45:00 - "Tricotism" - Oscar Pettiford
45:55 - Kenny Clarke deep dive
47:48 - "Mood Indigo"
49:50 - "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart": Duke's original vs. Monk's version
52:30 - "Solitude"
55:00 - "Caravan": Duke's original vs. Monk's version
58:35 - Categories: Desert Island, Apex Moments, Bespoke Playlists, Quibble Bits
59:50 - Drummer Kenny Clarke's Brush Master Class
1:04:00 - Is This Better than Kind of Blue?
1:04:55 - What to Listen to Next -
D'Angelo's Brown Sugar sounded like nothing else in 1995. R&B was slick, polished, and built for clubs. D'Angelo later said the "deeper consciousness" had gone out of contemporary music. Questlove later wrote that contemporary R&B had become "trite" and "soulless" ... and then there was Brown Sugar, D'Angelo's debut album. It sounded more like the '70s than the '90s. More like church than the club.
On this episode of You'll Hear It, jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin go track by track through D'Angelo's debut, pulling apart the vocal stems, naming the jazz chords underneath the soul, and tracing every influence back to its root. They also bring in the archival recordings you might have missed: a live set from the Jazz Café London that gives the album a whole second life, and a J Dilla remix.
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Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi-------------------------------
Related You'll Hear It episodes:
Voodoo: https://youtu.be/AYqmFNF2s0U
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About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
00:00 - D'Angelo's Brown Sugar
01:11 - Let's Go Back to 1995
05:35 - "Brown Sugar"
08:30 - Engineer Bob Power's Influence
09:13 - "Brown Sugar" Felt Different From Anything Else in 1995
16:57 - D'Angelo on Why He Picked Bob Power
19:30 - "Alright"
28:57 - Isolated Vocal Stems on "Alright"
31:27 - "Jones in My Bones"
33:20 - The Little-Known D'Angelo Album
36:25 - "Me & Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine"
40:30 - The J Dilla Remix (1997)
44:18 - "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker"
46:30 - Live at the Jazz Cafe - "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker"
48:10 - "Smooth"
50:20 - D'Angelo Could Have Been a Jazz Pianist
53:04 - D'Angelo and Peter's Ellis Marsalis Connection
56:21 - "Cruisin'"
59:25 - Ad Break: Learn To Play Like D'Angelo
1:00:37 - "When We Get By"
1:04:44 - "We Were Just Mocking Dilla": Raphael Saadiq on How "Lady" Was Made
1:06:20 - "Lady"
1:11:02 - "Higher"
1:15:28 - "Brown Sugar" Hits Different 30 Years Later
1:17:00 - Our Favorite Moments
1:23:45 - Quibble Bits, Snob-O-Meter & Accoutrements
1:27:26 - Up Next + Listener Reviews
1:29:45 - Open Studio Plays "Lady" -
Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959) may be the most controversial album in jazz history, and one of the most important.
In 1959, a broke musician from Fort Worth, Texas arrived in New York City with a plastic saxophone and a band that didn't play by the rules. And EVERYONE had an opinion about it.
Jazz legends hated it. Miles Davis said Ornette was "all screwed up inside." Max Roach punched him in the mouth. Dizzy Gillespie said Ornette's music wasn't even jazz. Meanwhile, Leonard Berstein and John Coltrane celebrated him.
So what exactly is The Shape of Jazz to Come, and why was it so radical? Jazz pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness break down every track, from "Lonely Woman" to "Chronology". They dig into harmolodics, free jazz, and how Ornette shaped everyone from Miles Davis (who eventually came around) to the '80s burnout crew, including Wynton Marsalis, who personally recommended this record to Peter.
Dig into The Shape of Jazz to Come with us, and learn why this soft spoken saxophonist inspired both criticism and awe.
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Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi-------------------------------
Related You'll Hear It episodes:
Mingus Ah Um: https://youtu.be/XYeRZ0Awui4
Giant Steps: https://youtu.be/8umC2yZlPHc
Kind of Blue: https://youtu.be/ShzSnjP8bSg
Time Out: https://youtu.be/-_qPhFSJeQU
Nina Simone at Town Hall: https://youtu.be/2PDjN5_2y5Q-------------------------------
About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter-------------------------------
0:00:00 - Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come
0:01:42 - 1959: A Pivotal Year
0:03:06 - Ornette Coleman: The Backstory
0:04:44 - Ornette's Earlier Sound
0:06:18 - Lore of the Five Spot
0:07:00 - "Lonely Woman"
0:12:27 - Harmolodics Explained (Charlie Haden + Don Cherry)
0:13:27 - "Eventually"
0:14:42 - The '80s Jazz Connection (Wynton, Branford, Kirkland)
0:17:21 - "Peace"
0:23:50 - Ad: Open Studio
0:24:57 - Mingus Said THIS About Coleman
0:27:47 - "Focus on Sanity"
0:29:40 - When Peter Played with Charlie Haden
0:32:43 - Don Cherry's Kids: Neneh Cherry + Eagle-Eye Cherry
0:34:22 - "Congeniality"
0:36:28 - "Chronology"
0:37:23 - Technical Technique vs. Artistic Vision
0:42:13 - Categories: Desert Island Tracks, Apex Moments
0:48:55 - You'll Read It Newsletter + Ambies -
Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin dive into Music of My Mind, track-by-track, listening to isolated stems and breaking down the music theory behind the songs.
Plus - we talk about TONTO, the one-ton synthesizer Stevie used to create this record. And we dig into the innovative ways Stevie and collaborators Malcolm Cecil and Robert Margouleff mixed the album.
Music of My Mind was the first of a five-album run that formed Stevie Wonder's Classic Period, including Talking Book (1972), Innervisions (1973), Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Key of Life (1976).
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Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi
-------------------------------Related You'll Hear It episodes:
Talking Book: https://youtu.be/ymcy3ot116w
Innervisions: https://youtu.be/mUYwIijL7s0
Songs in the Key of Life: https://youtu.be/uk5x4-uTzj8-------------------------------
About You'll Hear It:
In this popular music series, You'll Hear It, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
-------------------------------
Like the jam at the end of the show? Head to https://youtube.com/@OpenStudioMusic for more.
00:00 - Stevie Wonder's Music of My Mind
03:40 - Breaking Free: The Motown Contract Story
05:35 - Finding TONTO: Malcolm Cecil & Robert Margouleff
08:45 - What Was TONTO? The Technology Explained
09:20 - How Stevie Wonder Met Cecil & Margouleff
12:00 - "If You Really Love Me" - Stevie's Motown Sound
16:40 - What Albums Belong in the Run?
19:10 - "Love Having You Around"
22:20 - Isolated Breakdown: Vocals, Talk Box, Rhythm Section
27:35 - Stevie Made Albums Different
32:10 - "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)"
36:25 - The Greatest Transition EVER
41:45 - Innovation Behind the Mix
44:10 - Ad Break: Learn to play like Stevie Wonder
45:18 - "I Love Every Little Thing About You"
52:55 - "Sweet Little Girl"
56:14 - "Happier Than the Morning Sun"
1:00:53 - Find more performances from Adam and Peter at Open Studio Music
1:01:58 - "Girl Blue"
1:09:28 - "Seems So Long"
1:11:49 - "Keep on Running"
1:15:52 - "Evil" - The biggest moment on the album
1:21:10 - This One is for the Math Nerds About Music
1:23:05 - Categories
1:29:05 - Better Than Innervisions? / Up Next
1:32:05 - More from You'll Hear It: You'll Read It
1:32:40 - Open Studio plays "Superwoman" -
We're looking at the best jazz releases of February 2026! Listen with pianist Adam Maness as he breaks down and reacts to these great tracks.
Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://osjazz.link/yhi00:00 - Intro
00:26 - In On It - Pat Metheny
02:20 - Circlesz - GENA
04:13 - Will You Walk A Little Faster - Holland, Stone, London Vocal Project
06:31 - La Sentencia - Melissa Aldana
08:55 - La Fiesta - Geoffrey Keezer & Tim Garland
10:58 - Oo Long! - The Tomeka Reid Quartet
13:18 - The Edge - Noah Stoneman
15:40 - Shivaranjani - Ragini Trio -
Charlie Parker was punk rock before there was punk rock. His bebop was underground music: subversive, intellectual, and a major departure from popular music of the day (think: Nat King Cole, The Andrews Sisters, Perry Como). He was an intellectual heavyweight, nearly untouchable in his technical ability and pushing music to places no one else was daring to go. So where did Charlie Parker with Strings, his most accessible album, come from?
It's not Bird going commercial, like some have claimed. Charlie Parker with Strings is an album he fought to make. He loved Bach and Stravinsky (even quoting the opening of Stravinsky's 'Firebird Suite' mid-solo in one legendary performance), and had longed to make a record where his jazz saxophone was accompanied by strings.
The resulting record is music's greatest improviser at his best. Jazz pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness listen to select tracks (like "Just Friends" and "Summertime"), breaking down the theory behind the music to understand what makes this album great.
Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo. In this popular music series, You'll Hear It, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.
Like the jam at the end of the show? Head to @openstudiomusic on YouTube for more.
Visit Open Studio for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://osjazz.link/yhi00:00 - Intro: Charlie Parker with Strings
01:10 - "Just Friends"
04:40 - Want to Be a Great Musician? Study This Track
10:20 - Early Recording: "Swingmatism" (1941)
12:45 - The Secret to Charlie Parker's Genius: Practice
15:20 - The Savoy Sessions: "Now's the Time" & Young Miles Davis
18:20 - The Contrafact Built in Real Time
21:45 - "Koko": Miles Davis Couldn't Play It?!
24:30 - Musicians NEED to Listen to This
27:15 - Think Parker Sold Out? Think AGAIN
28:55 - "April in Paris": Parker's Chosen Tune
33:55 - About Mitch Miller's Oboe ...
38:25 - "Summertime"
44:10 - "Out of Nowhere"
46:35 - We Have An Album!
47:20 - "East of the Sun"
53:00 - "I'll Remember April"
55:50 - Categories: Desert Island Tracks
56:35 - The BEST Moments on Strings
1:11:10 - Open Studio Plays "Just Friends" - Visa fler
