We’re finally digging into “Voodoo” - D’Angelo’s Grammy-winning album that changed the sound of R&B, soul, and hip-hop forever. And the album a young Adam Maness had on repeat, seriously influencing his playing as well as countless musicians since.
With Questlove’s “Dilla-drag” drumming, Pino Palladino’s funky bass lines, Roy Hargrove’s jazzy horn arrangements, and Charlie Hunter’s chicken-picking guitar, Voodoo is packed with the kind of cross-genre musicality that makes jazz musicians lose their minds.
Twenty-five years later, Voodoo still grooves harder, hits deeper, and sounds more human than many albums of its generation.
In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What makes D’Angelo’s groove so unique (and hard to imitate)
• Isolated tracks, rare demos, and interviews with the artists
• How “Spanish Joint” came together in a single take
• Whether “Feel Like Makin’ Love” tops the Roberta Flack original
• And whether “Voodoo” is even an R&B album at all

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
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As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey.

Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor.

You can’t deliver a performance like Shirley Horn’s “Here’s to Life” unless you’ve lived a little – or a lot. It’s an album only an artist with decades of love, loss, and resilience could create. In this episode, we break down Horn’s unmatched ability to accompany herself, the elegance of Johnny Mandel’s string arrangements, and the quiet confidence that defines every track. Whether you’re discovering Shirley Horn for the first time or revisiting a favorite, this episode will leave you hearing her – and your own life – a little differently.

Listen to your favorite YHI jams, original tunes and more: https://osjazz.link/music
Join Open Studio for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://osjazz.link/yhi

You’ll hear:

• Horn’s piano-first vocal approach
• How Miles Davis helped spark her third act
• The brilliance of Johnny Mandel’s orchestrations
• Peter and Adam's tips for arranging for vocalists
• Why this album is 90's jazz at its finest
• and more!

For the first time ever, we’re digging into an album Peter actually played on. In this episode, we go deep on Spirit of the Moment, saxophonist Joshua Redman’s 1995 double-CD live album, recorded at the legendary Village Vanguard, with Peter on piano, drummer Brian Blade, and bassist Chris Thomas. We explore how Redman rose to stardom in the ’90s, stories from Peter’s New Orleans trio days, and what it’s like to be onstage for a now-classic recording. Plus: crowd gasps, Josh’s nods to Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson and his father Dewey Redman, the art of laying out, and why this record still inspires a specific crowd of 17-year old jazz pianists 30 years later.

Before Kind of Blue, a 21-year-old Miles Davis was already reshaping jazz with Birth of the Cool. In this episode, we explore how Miles teamed up with arranger Gil Evans and a chamber-like nonet to craft a sound full of singable melodies, tightly arranged horns, and forward-thinking restraint. With French horn in the mix, Gerry Mulligan and John Lewis’ arranging touch, and Lee Konitz’s lyrical solos, we unpack why this album – recorded in 1949-1950 and released years later – still lives up to its name.

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey.

Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor.

Learn what makes Marvin Gaye’s protest album a timeless masterpiece. Adam and Peter go deeper than deep—layer by layer—using stems to find out. Listen to the full arrangement in a way you’ve probably never experienced, even if you’ve heard it a thousand times. Strings, bass, background vocals, Marvin’s multi-tracked leads, percussion, vibes—it’s all here, isolated and exposed.

We also dig into the story behind the album, and how a protest record became a timeless masterpiece.

A must-listen for anyone who cares about music—and how it’s made.

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey.

Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor.

We hand the mic to Kirk Hamilton from the Strong Songs podcast to help us break down the groovy 1973 self-titled release: Tower of Power. We unpack what makes this Oakland funk outfit a generational institution – from David Garibaldi’s precision drum fills and Rocco Prestia’s machine-gun bass lines to what may be the tightest horn section of all time. We dig into standout tracks like “What Is Hip?” and “Soul Vaccination,” spotlight Lenny Pickett’s wild ascent from TOP to SNL, and detail some funny production quirks (like why the drums are panned hard left). It’s a full-course tour through funk, soul, and brass brilliance – with a healthy side of stank face.

Check out the Strong Songs podcast → https://strongsongspodcast.com/

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey.

Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor.

Stack a DX7, a keytar, and enough rack-mount synths to power a small city, and you get one of the most iconic – and polarizing – jazz fusion albums of the ’80s. This week, we dive into The Chick Corea Elektric Band (1986), the record that inspired a thousand copycats and split the jazz world. From the jaw-dropping virtuosity of “Got a Match?” to the neon-lit grooves of “Rumble,” we ask: does the tech overshadow the music? Is there too much production polish and not enough stank? Peak fusion or synthmania gone overboard? Join us as we unpack one of the best fusion bands ever assembled.

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey.

Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor.

Try OS Membership today! → https://osjazz.link/about

All about YHI
https://lnk.to/youllhearitYB

Who swings harder: Oscar Peterson with guitar or drums? In this jazz piano trio showdown, Adam and Peter go head-to-head with seven scorching tracks spanning OP’s career. Team Guitar brings Barney Kessel, Herb Ellis, and Joe Pass, while Team Drums is anchored by the ever-swinging Ed Thigpen. We break down comping chemistry, shifting textures, virtuosic solos, and how each setup shaped the trio’s iconic sound. Which format delivered the best Oscar Peterson performances? Join us for a deep dive into Canada’s greatest jazz export.

🟠 Open Studio Members:
Nerd nook → https://www.openstudiojazz.com/community/c/as-seen-on/yhi-nerd-nook-classic-op-sounds

ABOUT OPEN STUDIO
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the premier online jazz education platform, with an ever-expanding course library and 20,000+ members, Open Studio (OS) has everything you need to excel and thrive on your jazz journey.

Featuring everything from beginner to advanced lessons, engaging courses from A-list instructors, step-by-step curriculum, real-time classes and a thriving and incredibly supportive community, OS is the perfect platform to level up your jazz playing, whether you’re a total beginner, or an advanced pro-level improvisor.

Try OS Membership today! → https://osjazz.link/about

All about YHI
https://lnk.to/youllhearitYB