WOW: New Music For June 2026

Check out the latest jazz and jazz-adjacent releases for June 2026 with host and jazz drummer Kaleb Kirby.

With her 1974 masterpiece Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell transforms from folk singer into something harder to define.Her piano playing matures. Her songwriting blossoms into one of the richest harmonic and melodic color palettes we've ever heard up to this point. Not to mention her incredible lyricism and melodies. And she brings a new production sensibility from her backing band: a group of jazz musicians called The LA Express.In this episode of You'll Hear It, Jazz pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin break down Joni Mitchell's greatest artistic achievement (and her greatest commercial success) track-by-track. You'll never hear Court and Spark the same way again-------------------------------Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:https://openstudiojazz.com/------------------------------Blue: https://youtu.be/ly6ENKGV-S8------------------------------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 Court and Spark - Joni Mitchell00:32 New From Open Studio03:37 Joni's Sound Before Court and Spark10:04 Joni Starts Hanging Out With Jazz Musicians11:07 🎧 "Court and Spark" - Alluding To An Epic15:25 Three Songwriters in One, At the Highest Level15:57 🎧 "Help Me" - Joni DELIVERS19:09 🎧 "Free Man In Paris" 22:02 🎧 "Midnite Flite" - Tom Scott and The LA Express23:25 🎧 "People's Parties"25:55 🎧 "The Same Situation"28:05 Joni's Lyrical Prowess31:38 🎧 "Car On A Hill"34:31 🎧 "Down To You" - A Perfect Song39:54 Joni's Vocal Instrument42:17 🎧 "Just Like This Train" - A MASTERCLASS In Lydian Mode45:32 🎧 "Raised on Robbery" - What Genre Is This?!48:09 🎧 "Trouble Child"49:52 🎧 "Twisted" - The Only Cover On the Album53:55 Desert Island Tracks55:42 Best Moments On Court and Spark57:13 How Snobby Is This Album?

Jazz musicians Adam Maness and Peter Martin review their three favorite songs from Michael Jackson's most iconic albums: Bad, Thriller and Off the Wall. And their choices aren't what you might expect. Plus - Adam, Peter and the Open Studio band play their jazzy interpretation of Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal. -------------------------------Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs: https://openstudiojazz.com/------------------------------Off the Wall: https://youtu.be/jR9zxGueeq4Thriller: https://youtu.be/KZx6W3SI8JABad: https://youtu.be/XgcI9LkZqeo------------------------------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 The Top 3 Songs on Bad, Thriller and Off the Wall00:55 #3 05:02 #212:23 #1 16:40 "Smooth Criminal" - Open Studio

Adam Maness brings you the freshest releases of May 2026!0:00 Intro0:50 Jeff Parkerhttps://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/happy-today3:45 Greg Hutchinsonhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/kind-of-now-mw0004778588 6:15 Chris Potterhttps://chrispotterjazz.bandcamp.com/album/alive-with-ghosts-today9:09 New Jazz Undergroundhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/hoodies-mw000479189111:04 Virginia MacDonaldhttps://virginiamacdonald.bandcamp.com/album/in-search-of13:00 Harry Skolerhttps://harryskoler1.bandcamp.com/album/echoes15:05 Laurie Anderson & Sexmobhttps://laurieanderson.bandcamp.com/album/let-x-x-live17:06 Alabaster DePlumehttps://intlanthem.bandcamp.com/album/dear-children-of-our-children-i-knew-epilogue19:31 Ben Wolfehttps://benjonah.bandcamp.com/album/any-time-after-now 21:30 Joe Lovanohttps://joelovano.com/recordings/paramount-quartet/

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.------------------------------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 Tribute04:54 Sonny as the Bridge Between Bebop Generations05:57 "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 Terry24:00 Is Sonny Rollins the Most Influential Tenor Saxophone Player of All Time?28:01 "St. Thomas" from Saxophone Colossus34:40 "I'm an Old Cowhand" from Way Out West36:14 "A Night at the Village Vanguard" (Afternoon Set)39:00 "Wonderful! Wonderful!" 40:50 The Williamsburg Bridge Sabbatical44:04 "Without a Song" 46:29 Later Career: 1970s - 201249:13 "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-------------------------------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?