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

Why does Sade's Love Deluxe feel so good? It's chill, it's vibey and incredibly musically sophisticated. Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin listen to Love Deluxe track-by-track, breaking down what's happening in the music: the minor and major thirds, the back phrasing and why Sade is the "Queen of the Ninth".

Plus - Adam gives a mini lesson on chromatic mediants and how they give 'Like a Tattoo' its distinctive sound.

Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://yhi.link/sade

Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes FREE today:
https://yhi.link/love-deluxe

About You'll Hear It:

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin unpack popular albums track-by-track in this weekly listening party. They talk about what their trained ears hear in the music, offering audiences a new window into the records they love.

00:00 Love Deluxe - Sade
00:50 Sade, the band
03:04 The road to Love Deluxe
07:27 No Ordinary Love
14:52 Feel No Pain
17:15 I Couldn’t Love You More
20:52 Like a Tattoo
24:10 Chromatic mediants, explained
25:58 Kiss of Life
29:39 Cherish the Day
34:04 Pearls
38:21 Robert Glasper and Lalah Hathaway’s take
39:39 Bullet Proof Soul
41:46 Mermaid
46:27 1992 was SUCH a great year for music
47:18 Our desert island tracks
47:24 The best moments on Love Deluxe
48:48 Does this album need more chords?
51:06 The cover
52:59 Peter’s $26 beer

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin take apart Jamiroquai’s 1994 album The Return of the Space Cowboy, isolating bass lines and keyboard parts to reveal the jazz harmony inside the grooves.

Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://yhi.link/jamiroquai

Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes FREE today:
https://yhi.link/space-cowboy

About You'll Hear It:

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin unpack popular albums track-by-track in this weekly listening party. They talk about what their trained ears hear in the music, offering audiences a new window into the records they love.

00:00 Return of the Space Cowboy - Jamiroquai
06:30 Space Cowboy's standout player
07:40 Jay Kay's voice
08:30 Stillness in Time
11:25 Half the Man
15:00 Light Years
18:31 Manifest Destiny
20:37 The Kids
22:41 Inside the bass line
25:05 Mr Moon
28:34 Scam
31:23 Journey to Arnhemland
34:46 Morning Glory
36:50 Space Cowboy
39:33 Unpacking the chords
41:48 Desert island picks
43:26 Adam’s favourite bass entrance
44:29 The Stevie Wonder comparison
48:54 The hats
50:35 How it compares to other 1994 albums

Cozy songs for fall, handpicked by two jazz pianists who take sweater weather very seriously. From Shirley Horn and Norah Jones to D’Angelo, Nick Drake and a surprisingly cozy cut from Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/

Learn to play tracks from You'll Hear It. Join the You'll Hear It Players Club:
https://yhi.link/players-club

📞 Send us a message: https://youllhearit.com/

------------------------------

About You'll Hear It:

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin unpack popular albums track-by-track in this weekly listening party. They talk about what their trained ears hear in the music, offering audiences a new window into the records they love.

00:00 The coziest tunes we know
01:33 Peter starts strong
03:11 Sweater weather in a song
04:49 A new voice, an old favorite
06:38 Can the open road be cozy?
09:14 Saxophone and drums… cozy?
10:44 Better than the original?
12:55 A little quiet storm
14:36 The coziest jazz trio?
16:14 A voice like no other
19:19 Cozy isn’t just for Christmas
20:55 Modern jazz gets cozy
22:40 Heartbreak in a cabin
25:57 Peter bets it all on this one
28:57 What cozy songs did we miss?

Even if you don't recognize his name, you've heard his sound. Jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove played trumpet on, and contributed arrangements to, D'Angelo's Voodoo, Common's Like Water for Chocolate, and Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun. He was equally at home with neo-soul and hip-hop, and straight-ahead acoustic jazz. At the same time he was contributing to era-defining Soulquarian projects, he was producing music with his jazz quintet.

Today, jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin listen to his 2008 masterpiece Earfood and explore why it may be the perfect jazz album for the jazz-curious neo-soul fan.

Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/

-------------------------------

Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes FREE today:
https://yhi.link/earfood

-------------------------------

Learn to play tracks from You'll Hear It. Join the You'll Hear It Players Club:
https://yhi.link/players-club

-------------------------------

📞 Send us a message: https://youllhearit.com/

------------------------------

About You'll Hear It:

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin unpack popular albums track-by-track in this weekly listening party. They talk about what their trained ears hear in the music, offering audiences a new window into the records they love.

00:00 The hidden force behind neo-soul
02:04 Roy Hargrove’s early years
07:07 D’Angelo, Voodoo and the Soulquarians
9:25 The RH Factor and Roy’s quintet
15:08 I’m Not So Sure
23:10 Brown
27:24 Strasbourg / St. Denis
32:01 Starmaker
34:09 Joy Is Sorrow Unmasked
38:56 The Stinger
44:43 Rouge
49:06 Mr. Clean
51:37 Style
54:01 Divine
55:45 To Wisdom the Prize
57:11 Speak Low
1:00:26 Bring It On Home to Me
1:02:04 Adam and Peter’s favourite moments
1:08:47 The final verdict

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin dig into the You'll Hear It mailbag, answering your questions and checking out the tunes you always wanted them to hear. Plus, a trivia round inspired by your comments.

-------------------------------

Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/

-------------------------------

Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes FREE today:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter

-------------------------------

Learn to play tracks from You'll Hear It. Join the You'll Hear It Players Club:
https://yhi.link/players-club

-------------------------------

📞 Send us a message: https://youllhearit.com/

------------------------------

About You'll Hear It:

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin unpack popular albums track-by-track in this weekly listening party. They talk about what their trained ears hear in the music, offering audiences a new window into the records they love.

00:00 The You'll Hear It mailbag episode
01:52 What's on your workout playlist?
04:27 When did you start playing piano?
07:10 What got you into jazz?
09:48 If you could choose only one chord ...
10:36 One album you'd perform live TONIGHT
13:05 The best jazz solos for beginners to transcribe
15:36 Does classical training help jazz musicians?
18:08 Playing listener requests
20:23 Test out a hi-fi system with this
24:21 A new favorite album
26:06 Adam loves this 70s singer-songwriter
28:12 A vibey, spacey pick
30:50 The album they overlooked
33:15 Alternate takes better than the originals
37:42 What we missed about Radiohead
39:33 The jazz we're listening to right now
46:20 Why kindred artists find each other
51:38 You tell us all the details we missed
56:49 GALA

D'Angelo's Black Messiah is one of the greatest albums of the 21st century. You can hear his musical influences all over it: Prince's arrangements, the Bee Gees' falsettos, Jimi Hendrix's guitar, Sly's groove. But the alchemy that makes Black Messiah so powerful could only come from one mind: D'Angelo, the artist who gave us Voodoo and Brown Sugar.

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin unpack D'Angelo's Black Messiah track by track, detailing what their trained ears hear in the music, and highlighting new textures, harmonies, and song structures you may have missed on the first listen.

Plus, Peter shares stories about his friendship and working relationship with legendary trumpet player Roy Hargrove.
------------------------------

Adam shows you how to play D'Angelo's "Really Love". Get the lesson:
https://yhi.link/really-love
-------------------------------

Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes FREE today:
https://yhi.link/linernotes-6

-------------------------------

Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/

-------------------------------

Send us a message: https://youllhearit.com/

------------------------------

0:00 D'Angelo and the Vanguard - Black Messiah
1:44 Ain't That Easy
7:35 Questlove, Pino Palladino, and James Gadson
9:35 1000 Deaths
14:09 The Charade
17:44 Where this album sits next to Sly, Marvin, and Prince
19:33 Roy Hargrove, and the Peter Martin connection
22:28 Sugah Daddy
28:45 Really Love
39:40 Back to the Future (Part I)
44:05 Where does talent like this come from?!
51:15 Till It's Done (Tutu)
53:43 Prayer
56:35 Betray My Heart
1:02:55 The Door
1:07:13 Back to the Future (Part II)
1:09:25 Is this album backwards?
1:11:11 Another Life
1:17:00 Our favorite moments
1:17:27 How snobby is this album?
1:19:53 Is it better than Voodoo?

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin play each other their favorite Ahmad Jamal tunes to build the ULTIMATE Ahmad Jamal playlist.

Learn to play tracks from You'll Hear It. Join the You'll Hear It Players Club:
https://yhi.link/players-club

-------------------------------

Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes FREE today:
https://yhi.link/linernotes-5

-------------------------------

Watch Ahmad Jamal at Studio 61: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KFMLNop0_g&t=607s

-------------------------------

📞 Send us a message: https://youllhearit.com/

-------------------------------

Listen to the Ultimate playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1TvAf7P7H5JvG0hP0SJth9?si=vH8EJXmHS4mGw8eWm0BqnA

------------------------------

About You'll Hear It:

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin unpack popular albums track-by-track in this weekly listening party. They talk about what their trained ears hear in the music, offering audiences a new window into the records they love.

00:00 The Ultimate Ahmad Jamal Playlist
01:48 72 years of recording, longer than a queen's reign
04:06 Excerpts from the Blues (Jazz from '61, CBS Studios)
08:21 But Not For Me
14:02 Jamal's quiet swagger
16:05 Old Devil Moon
19:02 The 1 a.m. New Orleans gig with Brian Blade
20:37 Star Eyes
25:09 When Peter met Ahmad Jamal
26:15 Poinciana (Live at the Pershing, 1958)
27:19 I Love Music
29:25 It Could Happen to You
32:08 The elephant in the room: Miles Davis
35:39 Cherokee
39:55 Peter's hot take on Israel Crosby
41:13 Willow Weep for Me
43:42 What's New
46:35 Our favorite moments
48:53 How snobby is this playlist?
50:50 Is this better than Kind of Blue?

Waltz for Debby is the sound that all "boring coffeehouse jazz" tries to imitate, but none can replicate. Featuring Bill Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums, this 1962 live album has become the template for every AI jazz playlist. And yet, it stands apart as one of the greatest jazz piano trio albums of all time. Pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin listen to the full album, track-by-track, describing what they hear in the music that lends this album its undeniable humanity.

-------------------------------

Learn to play tracks from You'll Hear It. Join the You'll Hear It Players Club:
https://yhi.link/players-club

-------------------------------

Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes FREE today:
https://yhi.link/linernotes-4

-------------------------------

Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/

-------------------------------

📞 Send us a message: https://youllhearit.com/

00:00 Bill Evans, Waltz for Debby
03:20 My Foolish Heart
09:20 Waltz for Debby
16:40 Detour Ahead
18:53 My Romance
23:55 Some Other Time
27:09 Milestones
30:31 Categories
34:03 Mailbag

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin take turns playing each other songs, and the goal is to get the biggest involuntary reaction out of the other guy. Along the way, they break down what's actually happening in the music. In a final round, they have to sit through their opponent's pick without cracking.

Who gets the best reactions? You decide. Share your verdict in the comments.

Listen to the playlist: https://tinyurl.com/3cmnby37

-------------------------------

Learn to play Led Zeppelin's "The Ocean". Join the You'll Hear It Players Club:
https://yhi.link/the_ocean

-------------------------------

Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes FREE today:
https://yhi.link/linerNotes-3

-------------------------------

Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/

-------------------------------

📞 Send us a message: https://youllhearit.com/

------------------------------

About You'll Hear It:

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin unpack popular albums track-by-track in this weekly listening party. They talk about what their trained ears hear in the music, offering audiences a new window into the records they love.

------------------------------

00:00 Rules of Engagement
00:44 Round 1
05:59 Round 2
10:01 Round 3
16:08 Round 4
20:28 Round 5
25:00 Round 6
33:51 Bonus: The Poker Face Round
36:50 Encore

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin unpack Radiohead's 2007 masterpiece 'In Rainbows', track-by-track. Hear about the harmonies, odd time signatures, Thom Yorke's singing technique and the production choices that give this album its sound. And learn why many of the musical choices made for 'In Rainbows' are strange for an album that hit #1 on the US and UK charts, and sold three million copies.

If you're hearing 'In Rainbows' for the first time, you're not alone. So is Peter! And if you're a Radiohead fan (like Adam), watch for Peter's reaction to, and verdict on, your favorite tracks.

-------------------------------

Learn to play "Weird Fishes", even if you've never played a note. Led by You'll Hear It co-host Adam Maness, this special lesson is simple enough to follow, even for absolute beginners.

You've spent an hour listening to Adam and Peter take the album apart. Now, you can sit down and play it. Join the Players Club: https://yhi.link/weird-fishes

-------------------------------

Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes today:
https://yhi.link/linerNotes-2

-------------------------------

📞 Send us a message: https://youllhearit.com/

-------------------------------

Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/

------------------------------

Kid A: https://youtu.be/uRs2yuQbH1Q

------------------------------

About You'll Hear It:

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin unpack popular albums track-by-track in this weekly listening party. They talk about what their trained ears hear in the music, offering audiences a new window into the records they love.

------------------------------

0:00 In Rainbows - Radiohead
1:25 The poll that picked this album
8:44 The pay-what-you-want release
20:05 Adam HAD to teach this track
26:58 Now we're really into great stuff
31:20 Why this album sounds so good
44:15 The closer, and a question about Thom Yorke's voice
47:50 Peter's verdict
50:05 The ten-year run

New albums all hand-picked from jazz pianist Adam Maness for your listening pleasure.

00:00 - Intro

01:51- Epiphanie - Domi & JD Beck
https://store.bluenote.com/products/domi-jd-beck-who-asked?srsltid=AfmBOoqy83sYVjg7gWOWEPzDP1lzL0qSN3BWoiNb80SR6foAtB1hFJUi

05:45 - Solidarity Song - Terri Lyne Carrington
https://terrilynecarrington.bandcamp.com/album/trip-the-night-fantastic

08:01 - Eye Level - Fathers
https://store.bluenote.com/products/fathers-fathers?variant=45730941010111&utm_source=Original&utm_campaign=KennyBeats20260610&utm_medium=direct&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluenote.com%2F&utm_board=bluenote&utm_country=US&utm_linkurl=bluenote.lnk.to%2Ffathers&lf=09636c21c8ac71dedf000e172e87d2a6

10:37 - Tagore - Charles Lloyd
https://store.bluenote.com/products/charles-lloyd-sangam-friends?srsltid=AfmBOorf1UxNmnTthTwtn0_zwgRhQmgDPrf_q9bYi0JObJCE-vYEtzKg

12:58 - Tethered - Nduduzo Makahthini
https://store.bluenote.com/products/nduduzo-makhathini-the-myth-we-choose?variant=45410756886719&utm_source=Original&utm_campaign=NduduzoMakhathini20260330&utm_medium=direct&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bluenote.com%2F&utm_board=bluenote&utm_country=US&utm_linkurl=nduduzomakhathini.lnk.to%2Fthemythwechoose&lf=eb502d0210407eb575699b99ef700288

15:28 - Stella By Starlight - Joey Alexander
https://joeyalexander.bandcamp.com/album/celestial-keeper

17:51 - Bem Querer - Curio Curio
https://curiocurio.bandcamp.com/album/curi-curi

19:43 - Out of the quiet - Richard Spaven
https://richardspaven.bandcamp.com/album/light-of-day

Stevie Wonder's Songs in the Key of Life is all killer, no filler. Every track is a masterpiece. It's almost TOO easy for two jazz pianists in the business of reviewing history's greatest albums. So we're upping the stakes ... with a draft. Adam and Peter each present their top tracks from Songs in the Key of Life, compare and contrast, and see who comes out on top with the best lineup.

Along the way, they reveal why Stevie Wonder is the master of harmony, how he (and only he) can get away with flourishes that would sound "corny" anywhere else, and the production details you'll never unhear.

----------------

Learn to play "Isn't She Lovely", even if you've never played a note. Led by You'll Hear It co-host Adam Maness, this special lesson is simple enough to follow, even for absolute beginners.

You've spent an hour listening to Adam and Peter take the album apart. Now, you can sit down and play it in the Players Club: https://yhi.link/stevie-sitkol

----------------

Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes today: https://yhi.link/linerNotes-1
----------------

Open Studio plays Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic": https://youtu.be/hY21yVJhOck

----------------

00:00 Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
01:24 New rules: we're drafting the album
02:57 The place setter that counts for nobody
05:50 Round 1
10:00 Round 2
12:25 Round 3
16:48 Round 4
20:50 Round 5
24:10 Round 6
27:13 Round 7
30:45 Round 8
33:25 Round 9
36:17 Round 10
41:35 The final lineups

You'll Hear It is a weekly listening party for people who love music ... a little too much. Every Monday, Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin sit down with one great album and break it down track-by-track. They listen, demonstrate what they are hearing, and put words to the moments you have always felt and haven't been able to explain. You’ll never hear your favorite albums the same way again.

You'll Hear It returns with Season 15: August 2026.

Adam and Peter break down Prince and the Revolution's Purple Rain, the 1984 soundtrack that turned him into a global superstar. They go track by track, from "Let's Go Crazy" to the title song. With keyboards in hand, they break down the sophisticated music theory underneath this pop hit to reveal the hidden qualities that make this album great. You'll never hear Purple Rain the same way again.

Stay tuned to the end of the episode for a bonus track: A jazzy live performance of Purple Rain by Open Studio and St. Louis soul singer Brian Owens. For more tracks from Open Studio's band, check out @openstudiomusic on YouTube.

00:00 Purple Rain - Prince
01:27 Prince, the Revolution & the Biggest Album of 1984
04:25 🎧 "Let's Go Crazy"
07:54 Making the Movie and the Album at Once
12:58 🎧 "Take Me With U"
19:59 Wendy Joins the Revolution
23:38 🎧 "The Beautiful Ones"
30:24 🎧 "Computer Blue"
35:16 🎧 "Darling Nikki"
41:50 🎧 "When Doves Cry"
45:41 🎧 "I Would Die 4 U"
48:58 🎧 "Baby I'm a Star"
52:21 🎧 "Purple Rain"
58:41 Best Moments On Purple Rain
1:01:33 Quibble Bits
1:04:56 Snobometer
1:06:23 Open Studio Performs "Purple Rain"

Our Top Picks of new jazz and jazz-adjacent releases from June 2026!

Weather Report's Heavy Weather became one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time. But there's so much more to it than "Birdland", Heavy Weather's radio hit. In fact, Peter makes the case that it might just be the weakest moment of the entire record.

Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin break it down track-by-track: From Jaco Pastorius's fiery fretless bass, to Joe Zawinul's beautiful piano, to the less-than-perfect production. You'll never hear Heavy Weather the same way again.

0:00 Heavy Weather - Weather Report
2:55 The Origins of Weather Report
6:29 Jaco Pastorius Joins the Band
10:40 "Birdland"
14:46 Birdland is the most popular. Is it the best?
20:38 "A Remark You Made"
25:17 "Teen Town"
30:49 "Harlequin"
36:22 "Rumba Mama"
38:38 "Palladium"
41:33 Production issues on Heavy Weather
45:11 "The Juggler"
50:59 "Havona"
58:13 The Best Moments on Heavy Weather
1:01:47 Is This Weather Report's Best Album?
1:02:43 Up Next
1:03:23 Open Studio plays "Teen Town" (with upright bass!)

With her 1974 masterpiece Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell transforms from folk singer into something harder to define.

Her piano playing matures. Her songwriting blossoms into one of the richest harmonic and melodic color palettes we've ever heard up to this point. Not to mention her incredible lyricism and melodies. And she brings a new production sensibility from her backing band: a group of jazz musicians called The LA Express.

In this episode of You'll Hear It, Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin break down Joni Mitchell's greatest artistic achievement (and her greatest commercial success) track-by-track. You'll never hear Court and Spark the same way again

-------------------------------

Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
https://openstudiojazz.com/

------------------------------

Blue: https://youtu.be/ly6ENKGV-S8

------------------------------

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 Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell
00:32 New From Open Studio
03:37 Joni's Sound Before Court and Spark
10:04 Joni Starts Hanging Out With Jazz Musicians
11:07 🎧 "Court and Spark" - Alluding To An Epic
15:25 Three Songwriters in One, At the Highest Level
15:57 🎧 "Help Me" - Joni DELIVERS
19:09 🎧 "Free Man In Paris"
22:02 🎧 "Midnite Flite" - Tom Scott and The LA Express
23:25 🎧 "People's Parties"
25:55 🎧 "The Same Situation"
28:05 Joni's Lyrical Prowess
31:38 🎧 "Car On A Hill"
34:31 🎧 "Down To You" - A Perfect Song
39:54 Joni's Vocal Instrument
42:17 🎧 "Just Like This Train" - A MASTERCLASS In Lydian Mode
45:32 🎧 "Raised on Robbery" - What Genre Is This?!
48:09 🎧 "Trouble Child"
49:52 🎧 "Twisted" - The Only Cover On the Album
53:55 Desert Island Tracks
55:42 Best Moments On Court and Spark
57:13 How Snobby Is This Album?

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.

-------------------------------

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

------------------------------

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/

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.

------------------------------

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"