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"

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.

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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

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Learn to talk like a jazz musician. Download the Liner Notes today: https://yhi.link/linerNotes-1
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Open Studio plays Stevie Wonder's "If It's Magic": https://youtu.be/hY21yVJhOck

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00:00 Songs in the Key of Life - Stevie Wonder
01:24 New rules: we're drafting the album
02:57 Love's in Need of Love Today
05:55 If It's Magic
06:57 As
10:00 Summer Soft
11:15 I Wish
12:30 Knocks Me Off My Feet
14:08 Isn't She Lovely
16:48 Pastime Paradise
18:30 Sir Duke
20:55 Ebony Eyes
22:09 Have a Talk with God
24:09 Contusion
26:05 Village Ghetto Land
27:18 Ordinary Pain
28:47 Joy Inside My Tears
30:50 Another Star
31:55 Black Man
33:30 Ngiculela - Es Una Historia - I Am Singing
35:05 All Day Sucker
36:23 Saturn
39:55 Easy Goin' Evening
41:35 The final lineups - Who won the draft

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

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

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

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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.

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Sign up for the You'll Read It newsletter for little known stories about the artists you love:
https://youllhearit.com/newsletter

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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.

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

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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

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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

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

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

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Related YHI Videos

Steamin', 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

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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