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.

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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.

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"

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

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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 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

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?

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

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Maiden Voyage: https://youtu.be/ZQ6ICxe2wjE

Head Hunters: https://youtu.be/wM-_44deuSY

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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 Thrust - Herbie Hancock
00:30 Herbie Before Thrust: Miles & The Headhunters
03:01 Drummer Mike Clark Joins the Band
03:35 🎧 "Palm Grease"
11:10 Why Paul Jackson Was So Unusual
13:07 🎧 "Actual Proof"
24:23 Our Relationship to Thrust
29:57 🎧 "Butterfly"
38:34 Peter's Paul Jackson Story
43:02 🎧 "Spank-A-Lee"
52:47 Categories: Desert Island Tracks, Apex Moments, Snobometer
57:09 The MOST Controversial Moment in YHI History