Marvin Gaye's I Want You could be one of his greatest albums, and he didn't even write it. Producer Leon Ware wrote most of the songs for himself. Marvin Gaye was only supposed to record the title track. But he heard Leon playing a demo of the album one night and stayed up listening until morning. The next day, he asked Ware if he could have the whole thing.

In this episode, Peter and Adam break down why the title track, "I Want You", might be one of his best songs, and whether the rest of the album can possibly live up to it.

This episode was recorded before the passing of James Gadson (June 17, 1939 – April 2, 2026), the drummer on I Want You. Gadson was one of the defining session drummers of 1970s soul. He was the drummer behind "Lean On Me," "I Will Survive," "Express Yourself", and the groove that powers this very album. Rest in peace, James.

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https://openstudiojazz.com/yhi

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Adam and Peter break down Marvin Gaye's What's Going On: https://youtu.be/PHowrEiaInQ

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About You'll Hear It:

In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.

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

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

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

00:00 I Want You - Marvin Gaye
00:39 Welcome: You'll Hear It from Open Studio
01:53 Who is Leon Ware? The Man Behind the Music
07:23 "I Want You"
14:39 The Keys Are Back! Breaking Down "I Want You"
16:52 Isolated Stems on "I Want You"
20:53 Can the Rest of the Album Live Up to Track 1?
21:52 Kendrick Lamar's Interpolation
25:27 "Come Live With Me Angel"
28:20 "After the Dance"
31:11 "Feel All My Love Inside"
35:03 "I Wanna Be Where You Are"
38:18 "All the Way Around": The Best Moment On the Album?
40:07 "Since I Had You"
42:07 "Soon I'll Be Loving You Again"
43:40 "After the Dance"
45:16 "After the Dance (Vocal)"
46:41 Desert Island Tracks / Apex Moments / Bespoke Playlist Title
55:00 Snob-o-Meter / Better Than? / Accoutrements
58:00 Leon Ware Released HIS Version the Same Year
59:44 GALA + Thank You
1:01:23 Coda: "I Want You" feat. Brian Owens + James Gadson Tribute

Buena Vista Social Club: The album so good it's life-affirming. And it almost didn't happen.

In 1996, an American musician landed in Cuba to record a music project with Malian musicians. But when they didn't show up, Ry Cooder and his producer, Juan de Marcos González, went looking for replacements.

That's when they found Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer and Rubén González, who had seen their musical prime decades earlier in the 40s and 50s. Compay was nearing his 90s, and some believed he had died, until he showed up on Buena Vista Social Club. Rubén hadn't played in years, and didn't even own a piano.

But together with a cast of all-star Cuban musicians, they created what would become the best-selling world music album of all time.

How did Buena Vista Social Club become a global phenomenon?

In this episode of You'll Hear It, Peter Martin and Adam Maness listen to the record track-by-track to understand what makes this album so magnetic, and how it holds up 30 years later. Plus - a FIRST in You'll Hear It history.

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

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

About You'll Hear It:

In this popular music series, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.

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

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

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

00:00 - Buena Vista Social Club
00:55 - Why This Episode is NEXT LEVEL
06:59 - "Chan Chan"
10:24 - The Story of Buena Vista Social Club
14:34 - "De Camino a la Vereda"
16:27 - "El Cuarto de Tula"
20:09 - "Pueblo Nuevo (Danzón)"
24:26 - "Dos Gardenias"
26:12 - "Y Tú Qué Has Hecho?"
28:15 - "Veinte Años"
29:49 - Omara's On Stage Shout Out to Peter
31:09 - "El Carretero"
32:33 - "Candela"
34:38 - "Amor de Loca Juventud"
35:55 - "Orgullecida"
37:03 - "Murmullo"
39:48 - "Buena Vista Social Club (Title Track)"
44:38 - "La Bayamesa"
46:12 - Peter's BIG Reveal
47:40 - The BEST Moments on BVSC
49:33 - Categories: Bespoke Playlists, Quibble Bits and Snobometer
51:52 - What to Listen to Next
54:19 - Open Studio Plays "Chan Chan"

What happens when you put three of jazz's biggest personalities in a studio for a day? You get Money Jungle: Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach. Can it work? Miles Davis hated it. Others revere it. And the story behind this album is WILD.

It's perhaps the most tense album we've ever listened to. And this episode of You'll Hear It is possibly the most we have ever disagreed about an album! Listen for the music, the hot takes, or just to see what all the fuss is about. No matter your reason for listening to this episode, you'll never hear Money Jungle the same way again.

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

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

Related You'll Hear It episodes:

Mingus Ah Um: https://youtu.be/XYeRZ0Awui4

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.

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

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

About You'll Hear It:

In this popular music series Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.

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

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

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

0:00 - "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)"
2:07 - You'll Hear It Live at Jazz at Lincoln Center
6:02 - The Story of Thelonious Monk
8:24 - First Official Recording: Coleman Hawkins Quartet (1944)
10:21 - Keepnews Big Idea to Bring Monk to the Masses
14:46 - "It Don't Mean a Thing": Duke's original vs. Monk's version
20:40 - Bassist Oscar Pettiford's Sophisticated Musical Language
24:10 - Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald's Version
27:38 - "Sophisticated Lady"
31:44 - "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good"
35:08 - Bet You Can't Guess This Singer
39:10 - "Black and Tan Fantasy": Duke (1927) vs. Monk
42:30 - Oscar Pettiford Plays "Basso Profundo" with Duke Ellington
45:00 - "Tricotism" - Oscar Pettiford
45:55 - Kenny Clarke deep dive
47:48 - "Mood Indigo"
49:50 - "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart": Duke's original vs. Monk's version
52:30 - "Solitude"
55:00 - "Caravan": Duke's original vs. Monk's version
58:35 - Categories: Desert Island, Apex Moments, Bespoke Playlists, Quibble Bits
59:50 - Drummer Kenny Clarke's Brush Master Class
1:04:00 - Is This Better than Kind of Blue?
1:04:55 - What to Listen to Next

D'Angelo's Brown Sugar sounded like nothing else in 1995. R&B was slick, polished, and built for clubs. D'Angelo later said the "deeper consciousness" had gone out of contemporary music. Questlove later wrote that contemporary R&B had become "trite" and "soulless" ... and then there was Brown Sugar, D'Angelo's debut album. It sounded more like the '70s than the '90s. More like church than the club.

On this episode of You'll Hear It, jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin go track by track through D'Angelo's debut, pulling apart the vocal stems, naming the jazz chords underneath the soul, and tracing every influence back to its root. They also bring in the archival recordings you might have missed: a live set from the Jazz Café London that gives the album a whole second life, and a J Dilla remix.

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

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

Related You'll Hear It episodes:

Voodoo: https://youtu.be/AYqmFNF2s0U

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

About You'll Hear It:

In this popular music series Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.

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

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

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

00:00 - D'Angelo's Brown Sugar
01:11 - Let's Go Back to 1995
05:35 - "Brown Sugar"
08:30 - Engineer Bob Power's Influence
09:13 - "Brown Sugar" Felt Different From Anything Else in 1995
16:57 - D'Angelo on Why He Picked Bob Power
19:30 - "Alright"
28:57 - Isolated Vocal Stems on "Alright"
31:27 - "Jones in My Bones"
33:20 - The Little-Known D'Angelo Album
36:25 - "Me & Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine"
40:30 - The J Dilla Remix (1997)
44:18 - "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker"
46:30 - Live at the Jazz Cafe - "Shit, Damn, Motherfucker"
48:10 - "Smooth"
50:20 - D'Angelo Could Have Been a Jazz Pianist
53:04 - D'Angelo and Peter's Ellis Marsalis Connection
56:21 - "Cruisin'"
59:25 - Ad Break: Learn To Play Like D'Angelo
1:00:37 - "When We Get By"
1:04:44 - "We Were Just Mocking Dilla": Raphael Saadiq on How "Lady" Was Made
1:06:20 - "Lady"
1:11:02 - "Higher"
1:15:28 - "Brown Sugar" Hits Different 30 Years Later
1:17:00 - Our Favorite Moments
1:23:45 - Quibble Bits, Snob-O-Meter & Accoutrements
1:27:26 - Up Next + Listener Reviews
1:29:45 - Open Studio Plays "Lady"

Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come (1959) may be the most controversial album in jazz history, and one of the most important.

In 1959, a broke musician from Fort Worth, Texas arrived in New York City with a plastic saxophone and a band that didn't play by the rules. And EVERYONE had an opinion about it.

Jazz legends hated it. Miles Davis said Ornette was "all screwed up inside." Max Roach punched him in the mouth. Dizzy Gillespie said Ornette's music wasn't even jazz. Meanwhile, Leonard Berstein and John Coltrane celebrated him.

So what exactly is The Shape of Jazz to Come, and why was it so radical? Jazz pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness break down every track, from "Lonely Woman" to "Chronology". They dig into harmolodics, free jazz, and how Ornette shaped everyone from Miles Davis (who eventually came around) to the '80s burnout crew, including Wynton Marsalis, who personally recommended this record to Peter.

Dig into The Shape of Jazz to Come with us, and learn why this soft spoken saxophonist inspired both criticism and awe.

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

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

Related You'll Hear It episodes:

Mingus Ah Um: https://youtu.be/XYeRZ0Awui4
Giant Steps: https://youtu.be/8umC2yZlPHc
Kind of Blue: https://youtu.be/ShzSnjP8bSg
Time Out: https://youtu.be/-_qPhFSJeQU
Nina Simone at Town Hall: https://youtu.be/2PDjN5_2y5Q

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

About You'll Hear It:

In this popular music series Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.

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

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

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

0:00:00 - Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz to Come
0:01:42 - 1959: A Pivotal Year
0:03:06 - Ornette Coleman: The Backstory
0:04:44 - Ornette's Earlier Sound
0:06:18 - Lore of the Five Spot
0:07:00 - "Lonely Woman"
0:12:27 - Harmolodics Explained (Charlie Haden + Don Cherry)
0:13:27 - "Eventually"
0:14:42 - The '80s Jazz Connection (Wynton, Branford, Kirkland)
0:17:21 - "Peace"
0:23:50 - Ad: Open Studio
0:24:57 - Mingus Said THIS About Coleman
0:27:47 - "Focus on Sanity"
0:29:40 - When Peter Played with Charlie Haden
0:32:43 - Don Cherry's Kids: Neneh Cherry + Eagle-Eye Cherry
0:34:22 - "Congeniality"
0:36:28 - "Chronology"
0:37:23 - Technical Technique vs. Artistic Vision
0:42:13 - Categories: Desert Island Tracks, Apex Moments
0:48:55 - You'll Read It Newsletter + Ambies

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.

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

Related You'll Hear It episodes:

Talking Book: https://youtu.be/ymcy3ot116w
Innervisions: https://youtu.be/mUYwIijL7s0
Songs in the Key of Life: https://youtu.be/uk5x4-uTzj8

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

About You'll Hear It:

In this popular music series, You'll Hear It, Adam and Peter break down the greatest albums of all time. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Joni Mitchell, D'Angelo: Jazz is the foundation of the most GENIUS music in recent history. These seasoned jazz pianists bring their deep musical knowledge to every joyful episode to help you hear the hidden qualities that make music AMAZING. You'll never hear music the same way again.

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

Like the jam at the end of the show? Head to https://youtube.com/@OpenStudioMusic for more.

00:00 - Stevie Wonder's Music of My Mind
03:40 - Breaking Free: The Motown Contract Story
05:35 - Finding TONTO: Malcolm Cecil & Robert Margouleff
08:45 - What Was TONTO? The Technology Explained
09:20 - How Stevie Wonder Met Cecil & Margouleff
12:00 - "If You Really Love Me" - Stevie's Motown Sound
16:40 - What Albums Belong in the Run?
19:10 - "Love Having You Around"
22:20 - Isolated Breakdown: Vocals, Talk Box, Rhythm Section
27:35 - Stevie Made Albums Different
32:10 - "Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)"
36:25 - The Greatest Transition EVER
41:45 - Innovation Behind the Mix
44:10 - Ad Break: Learn to play like Stevie Wonder
45:18 - "I Love Every Little Thing About You"
52:55 - "Sweet Little Girl"
56:14 - "Happier Than the Morning Sun"
1:00:53 - Find more performances from Adam and Peter at Open Studio Music
1:01:58 - "Girl Blue"
1:09:28 - "Seems So Long"
1:11:49 - "Keep on Running"
1:15:52 - "Evil" - The biggest moment on the album
1:21:10 - This One is for the Math Nerds About Music
1:23:05 - Categories
1:29:05 - Better Than Innervisions? / Up Next
1:32:05 - More from You'll Hear It: You'll Read It
1:32:40 - Open Studio plays "Superwoman"