Dust off your turtle neck and start peppering the word “Mingus” into all your conversations, mates. Jeff Goldblum is dropping a jazz album.
Yes, you read that right. The 65-year-old actor has signed a record deal with Decca Records, and will be releasing his debut LP.
Those deeply familiar with Goldblum lore will no doubt already be aware that the dinosaur-hunting chaotician is quite musically adept; along with his band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Goldblum maintained an almost-weekly gig in at the Rockwell Club in Los Angeles for many, many years. The shows are largely jazz-based, but featured a hefty dose of banter and improvisation, with Goldblum revelling in the usually-full room of fans and acolytes and such.
But as it turns out, it took a trip across to London for the music industry to actually sit up and take notice.
The story goes that Goldblum’s appearance on Graham Norton last year, in which he played piano during a performance by American jazz singer Gregory Porter, caused execs at Decca (a subsidiary of Universal Music) to practically fall over themselves. They immediately flew across to Los Angeles to meet with Goldblum after the show went to air, and the rest is history.
The Norton performance is below. Be warned: It is extremely sexual.
Goodness me.
Label bosses are understandably fired up about hauling Goldblum in, with director of A&R Tom Lewis extolling Jeffrey’s virtues in a statement to media confirming the signing.
As far as I can tell, everyone loves Jeff Goldblum. He’s a fantastic jazz pianist, a great band leader and just about the loveliest man in the world. His love of jazz is infectious and whenever he plays he makes you feel very happy. If we can take Jeff’s music into people’s homes then we will be helping, in our own small way, to make the world a happier place.
Yes. 100 times yes.
The as-yet untitled album is scheduled to be released later this year. Just enough time to dim the lights and get one of your rooms nice and smoky in preparation.
Jazz is as much about the environment as it is about the music, after all.
