It’s Black Friday at Open Studio! Grab our biggest savings of the year and take your playing to the next level: https://www.openstudiojazz.com/yhi/Songs in the Key of Life stands apart, even next to the other four albums in Stevie Wonder's classic period. It resulted in the most hit singles: "I Wish", "Sir Duke", "As" and "Another Star". Chris Molanphy of the Hit Parade podcast leads us through this album's incredible charts story. Not only did it produce FOUR singles, but it inspired two other chart-topping hits: Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" and Will Smith's "Wild Wild West".Plus — Peter and Adam nerd out on the keys, dissecting every track to highlight the musical complexity that makes Songs in the Key of Life a favorite among jazz musicians. You may have heard Songs in the Key of Life ... possibly many times. But you've never heard it quite like this!00:00 - Intro Jam: "As"02:13 - The Chart Story Behind SITKOL05:40 - The Long Wait for Songs in the Key of Life12:45 - "Love's In Need of Love Today"19:40 - Comparing Stevie to Prince20:30 - "I Wish"24:00 - The Ultimate Crossover Hitmaker27:25 - "Sir Duke"32:30 - Making Jazz Fun37:25 - "Passtime Paradise"40:00 - Stevie the Synth Innovator43:50 - How Stevie Commanded the Charts46:40 - How Was This Track Not a Hit Single?52:00 - This Hit Was NOT On an Album56:00 - The SITKOL Jazz Standard1:00:30 - "Another Star"1:04:05 - "As"1:15:00 - How SITKOL Singles Broke Ground1:22:20 - Our Favorite SITKOL Tracks1:25:35 - The Best Moments on SITKOL1:29:50 - Bespoke Spotify Playlists1:32:45 - What to Listen to Next1:35:20 - Quibble Bits1:37:50 - How "Snobby" is This Record?1:40:50 - Is it Better than Kind of Blue?1:42:40 - Packaging Gets a 10/101:45:00 - Outro: "As"
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"Mingus Ah Um" — Charles Mingus
It’s Black Friday at Open Studio! Grab our biggest savings of the year and take your playing to the next level: https://www.openstudiojazz.com/yhi/1959 gave us Kind of Blue, Time Out ... and Mingus Ah Um. Adam and Peter dig into Charles Mingus’s most adventurous, soulful record: gospel, bebop, and pure Mingus genius. You’ve never heard it quite like this.Charles Mingus was one of jazz's greatest bass players AND composers. Listen with us as we break down the genius in every track of his best-selling record, and share stories of the brilliant, chaotic, occasionally volatile man behind Mingus Ah Um. Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://osjazz.link/yhi 00:00 — Opening Jam: "Better Git It In Your Soul"01:40 — What's happening at Open Studio3:15 — 1959: What a Great Year!5:40 — Early Mingus10:40 — "All the Things You Can C#" from Mingus at the Bohemia11:40 — "A Foggy Day" from Pithecanthropus Erectus16:15 — "Better Get Hit In Your Soul"23:35 — This One is For the Nerds27:50 — "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" 34:36 — "Boogie Stop Shuffle"38:30 — "Self-Portrait in Three Colors"40:30 — The Duke Ellington Influence45:10 — "Open Letter to Duke" 48:05 — "Bird Calls"49:00 — "Fables of Faubus"56:40 - "Pussy Cat Dues"58:15 — "Jelly Roll"1:00:15 — Categories1:10:50 — GALA
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1:14:28
"At Town Hall" – Nina Simone
It’s Black Friday at Open Studio! Grab our biggest savings of the year and take your playing to the next level: https://www.openstudiojazz.com/yhi/At Town Hall captures a pivotal moment in Nina Simone's story, when she left behind her dream of being a concert pianist and embraced her identity as an indefinable and remarkable talent.At Town Hall shows off Nina’s classical chops, infused with the jazz influences from working in nightclubs and mixed with the folk and gospel sounds of her youth. Adam and Peter pull apart the tracks to highlight each element of her unique musical blend. This may not be one of her most recognizable albums, but it is one of her most interesting. It's made even more fascinating by the fact that Nina met bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Ben Riley only as they walked on stage! Listen to hear her arranging and composing on the spot.Subscribe to the You'll Read It newsletter for stories that didn't make the pod: https://youllhearit.com/newsletter Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://osjazz.link/yhi
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1:09:37
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1:09:37
"Thriller" – Michael Jackson
It’s Black Friday at Open Studio! Grab our biggest savings of the year and take your playing to the next level: https://www.openstudiojazz.com/yhi/In 1981, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones set out on one of the most ambitious projects in pop music history: an album where every song was a hit. The result was Thriller. The record-breaking, chart-topping masterpiece produced six top-ten hits, became the best-selling album of all time, and propelled Black American music into global pop dominance.Watch as jazz musicians Peter Martin and Adam Maness react to this iconic '80s pop album. They break it down track-by-track: MJ's timeless ad-libbed melodies, Ndugu Chancler's drum intros (the greatest in pop history?!), Greg Phillinganes's synths, and Rod Temperton's songwriting.Thriller is so much more than "Thriller". Listen with us, and you'll never hear this record the same way again.Michael Jackson unveils the moonwalk at NBC's Motown 25 special: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB7TqzPVt_M&t=538sGreg Phillinganes breaks down the bass line on "Thriller": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UqxOg3M-OM Adam and Peter analyze Off the Wall: https://youtu.be/jR9zxGueeq4 Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://osjazz.link/yhi
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1:21:10
"Voodoo" – D'Angelo
It’s Black Friday at Open Studio! Grab our biggest savings of the year and take your playing to the next level: https://www.openstudiojazz.com/yhi/In light of D'Angelo's passing, we're replaying our episode on Voodoo from June 2025. This Grammy-winning, genre-defying album changed the sound of R&B, soul, and hip-hop forever. And it has seriously influenced the playing of so many musicians, including our own Adam Maness. From Questlove’s behind-the-beat drumming to Roy Hargrove’s horn arrangements, Voodoo is packed with the kind of deep musicality that jazz musicians truly connect with.Twenty-five years later, Voodoo still hits harder than many albums of its generation. We've heard from so many of you in the comments on Spotify and YouTube about what this album, and D'Angelo's music, means to you. Tell us how D'Angelo has influenced you in the comments on Spotify or YouTube: https://youtu.be/AYqmFNF2s0U Watch Open Studio perform D'Angelo's "Spanish Joint": https://youtu.be/CG5yqmkj0G4
A podcast about music - how to listen, play, practice, and enjoy. Listen for a combo of advice, insights, and occasional humor from pianists Peter Martin and Adam Maness. A podcast from Open Studio
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