You'll Hear It

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. ------------------------------ 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. ------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------- 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

What happens when you let a musical genius make the album of his dreams? You get Stevie Wonder's Music of My Mind (1972), the start of the greatest run in music history. Music of My Mind would be 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). In this episode of You'll Hear It, jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin dive into every track on Music of My Mind, listening to isolated stems and breaking down the 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. ------------------------------- 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 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/yhi

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 openstudiojazz.com for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs. 00:00 - 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"

Is Steely Dan's Gaucho more perfect than Aja? Maybe even ... too perfect? Two years in the studio. The greatest session musicians alive asked to play take after take after take until it was exactly right. And sometimes that STILL wasn't enough for Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. On today's episode of You'll Hear It, jazz pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness are breaking down the 1980 album track by track: the jazz harmony hiding inside those smooth grooves, the abstract poetry of the lyrics, and the insane stories behind how this thing got made. Including the $150,000 drum machine invented specifically for this record, the interview quote that cost them a third of a song, and the drum track that took 85 takes and 35 tape edits to piece together. And after all that, we didn't get another Steely Dan record for 20 years. Was it worth it? Read about the simple mistake that would haunt Steely Dan for 44 years in this week's edition of the You'll Read It newsletter: https://youllhearit.com/newsletter Watch our FULL breakdown of Steely Dan's Aja: https://youtu.be/G10mYohR6T4 00:00 - Steely Dan's Gaucho: A Monument to Perfect 01:15 - "Babylon Sisters" 11:00 - What Makes Steely Dan Genius 13:35 - The Precision of Purdie's Drums on Babylon Sisters 16:10 - Abstract Lyrics 19:35 - "Hey Nineteen" 22:25 - Pristine Rhodes 25:25 - Isolated Vocal Stems on "Hey Nineteen" 33:00 - "Glamour Profession" 38:55 - The Mingus Influence 40:10 - "Gaucho" 43:20 - The Keith Jarrett Lawsuit 48:50 - Gaucho Chorus Deep Dive 54:10 - "Time Out Of Mind" 57:50 - Monument to Perfectionism (Lead Boots) 1:01:35 - Perfectionism and Jazz 1:05:05 - Is Gaucho More Perfect Than Aja? 1:06:25 - "My Rival" 1:10:40 - Bowie / Steely Dan Side-By-Side 1:14:00 - Too Fussy? 1:19:05 - Open Studio Plays "Glamour Profession"

The Impossible follow-up: Michael Jackson's 1987 album Bad. Five years after Thriller changed everything, Michael returned with a record that would become one of the best-selling of all time, win two Grammys, feature some of the greatest musicians in the world (hey, Stevie Wonder!) ... and somehow still gets called a letdown. We've covered two of Michael's albums produced by Quincy Jones: Off the Wall and Thriller. What about Bad? Could it actually be better than its predecessor? Jazz pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness deliver their final verdict on this 80s pop sensation. Along the way, you'll hear behind-the-scenes stories about the making of the album. Plus - we break down the tracks (with keyboards) to highlight the music theory behind this album's most compelling moments. “Annie, are you OK?” Sometimes the best hooks come from the strangest places - find out where in the YHI newsletter: https://youllhearit.com/newsletter 00:00 - Intro: "Smooth Criminal" - Michael Jackson 01:30 - Michael Jackson's Bad (1987) 6:40 - Quincy's Smaller Role on Bad 7:50 - The Quincey Jones Brain Trust 11:00 - "Bad" - Tough Guy Michael 15:00 - Too Much Programming? 18:40 - That Organ Solo? Jimmy Smith! 22:40 - The Tragedy Behind Bad 23:45 - "The Way You Make Me Feel" - Sweet Michael 29:15 - How WE Really Feel (About Bad vs Thriller) 30:30 - "Speed Demon" - A Nostalgic Track 31:55 - Can We Be Honest? 32:50 - "Liberian Girl" - The Mid-Album Dip 35:30 - "Just Good Friends" - Stevie Can't Save It 41:00 - "Another Part of Me" - Pure Joy 45:00 - How "Man in the Mirror" Got Its Name 45:55 - "Man in the Mirror" - The Apex 53:00 - Why We Don't See Songs Like This Today 57:30 - "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" - Rejected By Babs 1:01:00 - "Dirty Diana" - Phil Collins Vibes 1:02:50 - "Smooth Criminal" - That's MJ's Heartbeat! 1:06:25 - "Leave Me Alone" - The Shuffle 1:09:15 - Apex Moments: Phillinganes and That "Woo!" 1:10:55 - Final Verdict: Bad vs Thriller 1:14:05 - Open Studio Plays "Smooth Criminal"

Carole King’s Tapestry is so cozy, you'll want to hug it; sit with it. It sounds simple, warm, and totally unassuming. But it’s way more impressive than it seems at first. Adam and Peter break down what’s actually going on beneath the surface of Tapestry ... and what most people miss. Carole King was already an elite songwriter long before this album. You know Aretha Franklin's “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”? Carole wrote that. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” by The Shirelles? She wrote that, too. When she was just 17! Listen closely and you hear it everywhere: in the chord choices, in the way the she actually PLAYS the piano instead of just accompanying her vocals, and in the way her melodies and lyrics lock together so naturally you barely notice how intentional it all is. Add in that soulful, sweet voice, and you start to understand how this unassuming record became a chart-topping, Grammy-dominating classic when it came out in 1971. Tapestry sounds easy, but it's not. Check out this episode, and you'll never hear this album the same way again. Get our newsletter for bonus stories that didn’t make the pod: https://youllhearit.com/newsletter 00:00 - Opening Tune: It's Too Late 01:25 - Introducing Carole King's Tapestry 05:00 - That Time Young Paul Simon and Carole Played Together 07:10 - Carole's Early Doo-wop Sound 10:20 - "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" - Aretha Franklin 13:30 - When Songwriter Became Performer 16:30 - B.B. and Carole 18:00 - "I Feel the Earth Move" 22:00 - "So Far Away" 30:45 - "It's Too Late" 40:50 - "Home Again" 44:00 - "Beautiful" 45:35 - "Way Over Yonder" 50:00 - "You've Got a Friend" 58:20 - "Where You Lead" 1:02:30 - "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" 1:04:40 - "Tapestry" 1:08:45 - "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" 1:13:10 - Apex Moments of Tapestry 1:21:20 - Coming Up On on You'll Hear It 1:22:00 - Outro: "It's Too Late"

We're looking at the best jazz releases of January 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 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - Why Don't You - Sam Fribush, Corey Fonville, Charlie Hunter 03:09 - Talking Drum - Julian Lage 04:58 - Flim - Winderman, Colman, Kimock 06:53 - Nacho Supreme - Motion II 08:51 - Wisdom Is Eternal (For Barry Harris) 10:49 - Unpersuadable Extern - N∆BOU 12:11 - Free Walk - Vladko 14:17 - Fireball - John Ellis & Double Wide 15:52 - Giant Steps - Billy Hart 18:50 - Parks Lope - Aaron Parks

We're looking back at the best jazz releases of 2025. Listen with pianist Adam Maness as he breaks down and reacts to these great tracks. This is a new segment from the team behind You'll Hear It, and we're looking to continue this music discovery pod as a weekly series in 2026. Help us shape this series and leave us a comment with your feedback. 00:00 - The Best New Jazz of 2025 00:55 - "Spiral Dance" - Branford Marsalis Quartet 02:30 - "Minor Blues Redux" - Kenny Barron 4:54 - "Icarus" - Joshua Redman 6:55 - "Thou Swell" - Gillian Margot, Geoffrey Keezer 9:30 - "Southern Nights" - Sullivan Fortner 12:30 - "Anything but now" - Cécile McLorin Salvant 16:30 - "Everything Means Nothing to Me" - Brad Mehldau 22:00 - "Over (feat. Yebba)" - Robert Glasper 24:40 - "Carved From" - Mary Halvorson 26:45 - "Old Folks" - Christian McBride 29:00 - "Windows" - Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Brian Blade 33:00 - "Mood Indigo" - Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bill Charlap Play better in 2026 and beyond at Open Studio. Join today with our last BIG savings of the year at openstudiojazz.com/yhi

What does it really mean to live a musical life? As we look ahead to 2026, Adam and Peter talk about music as a way of being. Not a checklist, or a finish line, or something reserved for “professionals.” They share why they believe everyone is a musician, and why taste and curiosity matter more than optimization. Whether you're a musician, or a lover of music, anyone can lead a musical life. 00:00 - How to Live a Musical Life in 2026 07:00 - There is No Finish Line 08:45 - All Humans Are Musicians 19:10 - Find Your Own Taste 28:00 - How We Choose Topics for You'll Hear It Play better in 2026 and beyond at Open Studio. Join today with our last BIG savings of the year at openstudiojazz.com/yhi

Prince's Sign O' the Times is one of our most requested albums at You'll Hear It. But, there is a certain window of millennial that doesn't really "get" Prince. If that’s you, this episode is your on ramp into his music. We start with Prince's earliest albums, tracing his incredible run from 1978 through to 1986. By the time we hit 1987 (around the time our dear mid-millennials were born), you can hear exactly why Sign O’ the Times has become so beloved by critics and music-lovers alike. If you’re already a Prince fan (like us!), get comfy. Put on your purple rain coat. We talk through the influences we hear all over this music: James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Parliament, Earth, Wind & Fire. We share our apex moments from Sign O’ the Times. And yes… we’ve got a few quibble bits too. We'll be taking a short break in January, and returning with more great episodes in February 2026. We'll be dropping a few special episodes in the meantime, so keep an eye on the feed. 00:00 - Intro Jam: "U Got the Look" 02:10 - Welcome + New at Open Studio 03:50 - Coming Up Next Season 05:10 - How We Make Decisions for the Show 08:35 - Why "Sign O' the Times"? 11:35 - "Soft and Wet" from For You (1978) 14:50 - "I Wanna Be Your Lover" from Prince (1979) 17:50 - "Head" from Dirty Mind (1980) 19:15 - "Controversy" from Controversy (1981) 22:35 - "1999" from 1999 (1982) 25:15 - "Purple Rain" from Purple Rain (1984) 28:40 - "Raspberry Beret" from Around the World in a Day (1985) 29:45 - "Kiss" from Parade (1986) 40:20 - "Sign O' the Times" 45:40 - "Housequake" 47:20 - "The Ballad of Dorothy Parker" 51:50 - "Starfish and Coffee" 53:05 - "Slow Love" 55:20 - "Hot Thing" 57:10 - "U Got the Look" 59:25 - Miles on Prince 1:02:25 - "If I Was Your Girlfriend" 1:04:00 - "Strange Relationship" 1:05:20 - "The Cross" 1:08:00 - "Adore" 1:09:50 - Apex Moments 1:14:55 - Categories 1:19:35 - Snobometer 1:23:55 - Coming Up on YHI 1:24:20 - Outro Jam: "U Got the Look" Play better in 2026 and beyond at Open Studio. Join today with our last BIG savings of the year at openstudiojazz.com/yhi

Could this be peak Frank? Sinatra at the Sands captures the energy, the cool, and the incredible voice that made this crooner so iconic. Backed by the Count Basie Orchestra with arrangements by a young Quincy Jones, this live album still swings 60 years later! Sinatra at the Sands was recorded at a moment when Sinatra was emerging from a slump. Rock and roll dominated the airwaves, the Beatles were redefining popular music and crooning just wasn't cool anymore. But this album, recorded live in Vegas, shows a 50-year-old Frank sounding loose, confident, and completely at home in front of a band that swings like nothing else. Listen with us as we break down and react to the best of this swingin' album. Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://osjazz.link/yhi 00:00 - Intro Jam: Fly Me To the Moon 01:35 - The Sinatra-Basie Episode! 03:45 - Is This Peak Frank? 05:45 - The Mid-60s Culture Shift 07:45 - "Come Fly With Me" 12:00 - The Quincy Influence 14:45 - "I've Got You Under My Skin" 17:30 - What To Listen For 22:30 - "The Shadow of Your Smile" 26:20 - Freddie Green's "Chunking" Technique 28:15 - Sinatra's Vocal Gift 33:30 - "Street of Dreams" 35:50 - "One For My Baby (And One More for the Road)" 38:40 - "Fly Me To the Moon" 45:00 - "One O'Clock Jump" 49:50 - Desert Island Tracks 54:05 - Apex Moments 59:05 - Categories 1:03:20 - Coming Up Next Week