You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians

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 The place setter that counts for nobody
05:50 Round 1
10:00 Round 2
12:25 Round 3
16:48 Round 4
20:50 Round 5
24:10 Round 6
27:13 Round 7
30:45 Round 8
33:25 Round 9
36:17 Round 10
41:35 The final lineups

Jazz pianist Adam Maness picks his 8 top new releases in July for your listening pleasure

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"

Our Top Picks of new jazz and jazz-adjacent releases from June 2026!