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-------------------------------Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://openstudiojazz.com------------------------------Related YHI VideosSteamin', Relaxin', Workin', Cookin': https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cookin-relaxin-workin-and-steamin-miles-davis-quintet/id1342674932?i=1000762361399Someday My Prince Will Come: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/someday-my-prince-will-come-miles-davis/id1342674932?i=1000724354435Birth Of the Cool: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/miles-first-masterpiece-birth-of-the-cool/id1342674932?i=1000710841989My 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 -------------------------------00:00 Kind of Blue - Miles Davis5:45 🎧 Bebop and Miles Davis's Early Years10:56 Bill Evans and Miles Davis11:48 🎧 "So What"20:49 KOB Is NOT A Perfect Album?26:59 Miles On Bill Evans's Approach32:13 🎧 "Freddie Freeloader"41:31 🎧 "Blue In Green"44:38 How They Made That KoB Sound50:02 🎧 "All Blues"58:20 🎧 "Flamenco Sketches"1:02:44 Is It Perfect?1:04:56 🎧 Outakes1:06:38 Categories: Desert Island Tracks & Apex Moments1:11:20 How Snobby Is This Album?1:16:21 What To Listen To Next1:19:13 🎵 "So What" - Open Studio

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/ZQ6ICxe2wjEHead 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

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

Join Adam Maness as he delves into the best new music released in April 2026 (ish). This month we're featuring the incredible microtonal Angine de Poitrine and many more!

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?