"Money Jungle" – Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Max Roach
You'll Hear It: Full Album Deep Dives with Jazz Musicians
Peter Martin
4.9 • 770 Ratings
🗓️ 30 March 2026
⏱️ 72 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What happens when you put three of jazz's biggest personalities in a studio for a day? You get Money Jungle: Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach. Can it work? Miles Davis hated it. Others revere it. And the story behind this album is WILD.
It's perhaps the most tense album we've ever listened to. And this episode of You'll Hear It is possibly the most we have ever disagreed about an album! Listen for the music, the hot takes, or just to see what all the fuss is about. No matter your reason for listening to this episode, you'll never hear Money Jungle the same way again.
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Start your free Open Studio trial for ALLLLL your jazz lesson needs:
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Related You'll Hear It episodes:
Mingus Ah Um: https://youtu.be/XYeRZ0Awui4
Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington: https://youtu.be/Z5YJr2iLG74
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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.
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00:00 - Money Jungle: Ellington, Mingus, Roach
01:00 - Can This Record Work?
05:06 - "Money Jungle": Mingus is Menacing!
09:15 - What Was Really Happening That Day
12:17 - Musical Context Leading Up to Money Jungle
14:15 - "Fleurette Africaine": Stunning Bass Work
17:00 - Must Great Artists Make Great Art? Not Always
20:18 - Why Money Jungle Keeps Showing Up on "Greatest" Lists
23:45 - "Very Special": Can This Song Win Over Peter?
27:07 - One Week Later: Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
29:32 - Adam's Hot Take: Duke's Magnificent Final Act
36:43 - "A Warm Valley": That Piano Sound!
39:35 - "Wig Wise": Sounding Like Monk. Can You Hear It?
42:59 - We Don't Talk About This Enough In Jazz
45:27 - "Caravan": Best Moment on Money Jungle
48:18 - Or Is THIS the Best Moment on Money Jungle?
52:25 - Want to Learn to Play Like Duke? Join Open Studio!
55:55 - "Solitude": A Musical F-You to End the Album
1:02:42 - Is This a "Emperor Has No Clothes" Situation?
1:03:40 - Desert Island Tracks + Bespoke Playlists
01:05:40 - Quibble Bits ... Do We Even Need to Ask?
01:08:48 - How Snobby Is This Album?
01:10:35 - What to Listen to Next
01:11:18 - Have We Ever Disagreed This Much? Wrap-Up
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Some called it ridiculous. |
| 0:03.0 | Others say it's the greatest piano trio album of all time. |
| 0:08.0 | You've got Charles Mingus, a powder keg of talent and temper, |
| 0:12.0 | kicked out of Duke Ellington's band once for attacking trombonist Ronald Kese. |
| 0:16.0 | You've got Max Roach, one of the best drummers who ever lived, |
| 0:19.0 | an intellectual band leader who demanded only the best from his sign. |
| 0:23.6 | And then there's Duke, a seemingly untouchable legend. |
| 0:27.4 | Nobody told him what to do it. |
| 0:29.7 | All three of them in a studio? |
| 0:32.1 | One day of reporting? |
| 0:34.1 | It's money junk. |
| 0:36.0 | Does it work? |
| 0:38.0 | I'm Adam Manus. And I'm Peter Martin. And you work? I'm Adam Mannis. |
| 0:39.0 | And I'm Peter Martin. |
| 0:39.8 | And you're listening to The You'll Hear a podcast. |
| 0:41.4 | Music Explore. |
| 0:42.5 | Explored, brought you today by Open Studio. |
| 0:44.3 | Go to Open Studiojadogas.com for, oh, your jazz lesson needs. |
| 0:48.8 | Peter Martin. |
| 0:49.7 | Yes. |
| 0:50.2 | Welcome into the show. |
| 0:51.5 | Are you prepared for perhaps the most tense album we've ever, ever listened to here on the, you'll hear it podcast. Are you ready for this? |
... |
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