Thrust – Herbie Hancock

Thrust – Herbie Hancock

From You'll Hear It by Peter Martin & Adam Maness

May 18, 2026 · 60 min · Season 14 · Episode 20

About this episode

Peter Martin and Adam Maness break down Herbie Hancock's influential jazz-funk album 'Thrust' track-by-track.

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/ZQ6ICxe2wjE Head 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…

People in this episode

Hosts: Peter Martin, Adam Maness

Topics covered

  • jazz-funk
  • album breakdown
  • track analysis
  • musical influences
  • personal stories

Keywords

  • Herbie Hancock
  • Thrust
  • jazz-funk
  • Mike Clark
  • Paul Jackson
  • Actual Proof
  • Spank-A-Lee

Sponsors

Open Studio

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Thrust, Spank-A-Lee, Actual Proof

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