You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians

Peter Martin & Adam Maness

The best hang in music. Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin break down the greatest albums of all time, track-by-track. Like Thriller, Kid A, Songs In the Key of Life, Aja, and Voodoo. They use their deep knowledge of music theory to uncover the hidden qualities that make music work - harmony, groove, composition and production - while demonstrating at the keys and playing isolated stems. Then, watch them perform their favorite track with our in-house band: One shot, one take. You'll never hear music the same way again. A video podcast from Open Studio, the #1 online jazz education platform.

  1. Thrust – Herbie Hancock

    16 HR AGO ·  VIDEO

    Thrust – Herbie Hancock

    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? ------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------ 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 Hancock00:30 Herbie Before Thrust: Miles & The Headhunters03:01 Drummer Mike Clark Joins the Band03:35 🎧 "Palm Grease"11:10 Why Paul Jackson Was So Unusual13:07 🎧 "Actual Proof"24:23 Our Relationship to Thrust29:57 🎧 "Butterfly"38:34 Peter's Paul Jackson Story43:02 🎧 "Spank-A-Lee"52:47 Categories: Desert Island Tracks, Apex Moments, Snobometer57:09 The MOST Controversial Moment in YHI History

    1 hr
  2. Mothership Connection – Parliament

    11 MAY ·  VIDEO

    Mothership Connection – Parliament

    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 Funk02:44 Who Is Parliament?07:59 🎧 "Mothership Connection"10:15 🎧 BEST Moment of 197514:48 Isolated Stems On "Mothership Connection"18:34 Influence Of Mothership Connection20:15 🎧 "Unfunky UFO"23:10 🎧 "Supergroovalisticprosifunkstication"27:23 Mysticism and Meaning of Parliament33:48 🎧 "Handcuffs"35:54 🎧 "Give Up the Funk"44:13 🎧 "Night Of the Thumpasorus Peoples"46:44 Categories: Desert Island Tracks, Apex Moments, Spotify Playlist48:13 Is This the Most Important Band Of the 70s51:05 What to Listen to Next

    53 min
  3. Genius + Soul = Jazz – Ray Charles

    4 MAY ·  VIDEO

    Genius + Soul = Jazz – Ray Charles

    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 = Jazz01:05 Why James Brown Fans LOVE This Album4:41 🎧 "From the Heart"11:30 Funk Starts HERE13:51 🎧 "I've Got News For You"19:35 🎧 "Moanin'"24:18 Roy Haynes LOVED This Album26:46 🎧 "Let's Go"31:03 🎧 "One Mint Julep"34:30 The Quincy Jones-Ray Charles Factor37:56 🎧 "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town"42:08 🎧 "Strike Up the Band"44:53 Desert Island Tracks47:40 What's With That Organ Sound?52:30 The Best Moments on Genius + Soul = Jazz53:28 What to Listen to Next58:34 Better Than Kind of Blue?

    1hr 1min
  4. Kid A – Radiohead

    27 APR ·  VIDEO

    Kid A – Radiohead

    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. ------------------------------- Hidden artifacts from the albums we love:https://youllhearit.com/newsletter ------------------------------- Chapters Legend: 🎧 Listening to a track     🎹 Music theory breakdown     🎵 Live studio jam 00:00 Radiohead - Kid A00:58 This is Adam's Super Bowl03:40 How Do They Get Away with This?!05:39 🎧 Where Radiohead Started08:29 🎧 OK Computer: Something's Happening Here15:17 Yorke's Creative Crisis18:09 🎧 "Everything In Its Right Place"22:44 Isolated Stems on "Everything In Its Right Place"24:53 Why Jazz Musicians Love Radiohead27:35 The Genius Rhythm in "Everything"30:00 Did Kid A Predict the Future?31:04 🎧 "Kid A"33:28 How Radiohead Cracked the Code34:07 Bluegrass Cover of "Kid A"35:27 🎧 "The National Anthem"40:55 What Peter ACTUALLY Thinks of Kid A46:19 🎧 "How To Disappear Completely"52:09 🎧 "Treefingers"55:10 What Genre Is This?58:30 🎧 "Optimistic"1:00:58 🎹 A Lesson in Modal Interchange1:05:00 🎧 "In Limbo"1:08:04 🎹 Adam Breaks Out the Keyboard1:10:44 🎧 "Idioteque"1:13:22 Isolated Stems on "Idioteque"1:14:43 🎧 "Morning Bell" 1:16:35 🎹 The Chromatic Mediant in Kid A1:19:50 🎧 "Motion Picture Soundtrack"1:22:28 🎧 The Most BRILLIANT Album Ending1:24:19 Best Moments on Kid A1:32:21 What to Listen to Next1:32:42 Better Than Voodoo?1:33:49 🎵 "Everything In Its Right Place"

    1hr 28min
  5. Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin' – Miles Davis Quintet

    20 APR ·  VIDEO

    Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin' – Miles Davis Quintet

    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 Story5:17 Miles & Monk at Newport '558:54 "My Funny Valentine"11:09 Miles to Red: 'Play Like Ahmad Jamal'13:51 "Blues by Five"17:39 BTS: Trane Comes Into His Own21:06 Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet22:40 "If I Were a Bell"29:59 "You're My Everything"32:54 The POWER of Miles's Intro Chatter36:40 "Oleo"38:15 "It Never Entered My Mind"41:58 "Four"46:44 Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet48:25 "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 Years58:03 Desert Island Tracks58:36 Apex Moments

    1hr 12min
  6. I Want You – Marvin Gaye

    13 APR ·  VIDEO

    I Want You – Marvin Gaye

    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 Gaye00:39 Welcome: You'll Hear It from Open Studio01:53 Who is Leon Ware? The Man Behind the Music07:23 "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 Interpolation25:27 "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 Title55:00 Snob-o-Meter / Better Than? / Accoutrements58:00 Leon Ware Released HIS Version the Same Year59:44 GALA + Thank You1:01:23 Coda: "I Want You" feat. Brian Owens + James Gadson Tribute

    1hr 7min
  7. Buena Vista Social Club

    6 APR

    Buena Vista Social Club

    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 LEVEL06:59 - "Chan Chan"10:24 - The Story of Buena Vista Social Club14:34 - "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 Peter31:09 - "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 Reveal47:40 - The BEST Moments on BVSC49:33 - Categories: Bespoke Playlists, Quibble Bits and Snobometer51:52 - What to Listen to Next 54:19 - Open Studio Plays "Chan Chan"

    59 min

About

The best hang in music. Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin break down the greatest albums of all time, track-by-track. Like Thriller, Kid A, Songs In the Key of Life, Aja, and Voodoo. They use their deep knowledge of music theory to uncover the hidden qualities that make music work - harmony, groove, composition and production - while demonstrating at the keys and playing isolated stems. Then, watch them perform their favorite track with our in-house band: One shot, one take. You'll never hear music the same way again. A video podcast from Open Studio, the #1 online jazz education platform.

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