One of last year’s most delightful discoveries was the album The Capitol Studio Sessions by popular movie actor Jeff Goldblum. Everybody who enjoys watching movies is familiar with the tall Goldblum of the strong, handsome but also strangely funny features, of the gangly extremities, and of the deep, distinctive voice.
Goldblum is in the lead roles of some of the biggest grossing films of all time like the Jurassic Park series and in Independence Day and its sequel. He is also in the likes of The Fly, The Big Chill, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Igby Goes Down, Cats and Dogs, Thor: Ragnarok, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Adam Resurrected and many others.
Aside from being an actor, Goldblum is also an accomplished musician who had been playing piano in gigs since his teenage years and in recent times with a jazz group that he has christened the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. Note that there is really nobody named Mildred Snitzer leading the band. It is the name of a close friend of his mother which Goldblum chose because it sounds just like those old-time jazz orchestras.
Goldblum released the live-recorded The Capitol Studio Sessions late in 2018 and the album with cuts like My Baby Just Cares for Me, Cantaloupe Island and It Never Entered My Mind was an instant success. His music is old jazz that is evocative of film scores from the ‘60s. His sparkling style echoes music from chic romances with scenic European settings. He makes listeners feel good, which jazz used to do before it drowned in angst and joined other sounds in fusion.
The debut recording easily made the jazz hit charts alongside legends like John Coltrane and Miles Davis. Goldblum must have been pleased as punch. He has made the transition to successful recording artist. It was the culmination of many casual gigs that he did with his friends with himself as pianist and front man.
His second effort I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This came out last November shortly after a well-received gig at the Glastonbury Music Festival. It is just as playful and breezy as his first but with a light touch of soul. Once again, he picked out well-loved standards for his repertoire and as though he were hosting cocktails at home, he invited some friends over to join in the musicmaking. He also did this in The Capitol Sessions but this time around, the star-power is bigger and brighter.
Take a look at his song line-up and the guests who joined him. Save for the renowned jazz vocalist Gregory Porter, Goldblum’s singing collaborators are all female. Porter sounds absolutely gorgeous in the standard Make Someone Happy which was composed by legends Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne. Still it is quite a treat to hear the familiar pop vocals of the girl singers like Miley Cyrus and Fiona Apple taking the jazz route backed by Goldblum and his orchestra.
The other tracks are Let’s Face the Music and Dance by Irving Berlin featuring Sharon Van Etten; The Sidewinder by Lee Morgan; The Beat Goes On by Sonny Bono featuring Inara George; The Thrill is Gone and Django by Lew Brown, Ray Henderson and John Lewis featuring Miley Cyrus; Don’t Worry ‘bout Me by Rube Bloom and Ted Koehler featuring Fiona Apple; Four on Six and Broken English by Marianne Faithful, Joe Mavely, Wes Montgomery, Barry Reynolds, Philip Terence Stannard; and David Stephen York featuring Anna Calvi; and If I Knew Then by Eddy Howard and Dick Jurgens featuring Gina Saputo.
Goldblum and his orchestra go solo in Driftin’ by Herbie Hancock; The Kicker by Joe Henderson; The Cat by Lalo Schifrin and Rick Ward; and what a sweet closer he gives in Little Man, You’ve Had a Busy Day by All Hoffman, Maurice Sigler and Mabel Wayne with himself on vocals. It is a fitting lullaby to a truly invigorating romp.
I do hope Goldblum comes up with album No. 3 soon. I am already very curious about what songs he will choose and the guests who he will invite to the sessions. I am very sure that after The Capitol Studio Sessions and I Shouldn’t Be Telling You, a lot of big names would just be eager to join in the fun.