Actor Jeff Goldblum is not just the source of a verb describing neurotic over-acting. The famed actor is also an accomplished jazz pianist, and a release date has been set for his debut album set to be released by Decca Records Label Group.
In the past Goldblum has proven his jazz chops accompanying vocalist Gregory Porter in a performance on The Graham Norton Show last year, and by performing with his own group the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. Decca Records’ head of A&R Tom Lewis has also attested to Goldblum’s talents.
“His love of jazz is infectious and whenever he plays he makes you feel very happy,” Lewis said in a statement.
Actors trying their hand at music is nothing new, particularly jazz. British star of TV’s “House,” Hugh Laurie, is well-versed in the genre. Laurie is an accomplished pianist who released two albums in the past decade. Actress Scarlett Johansson also tried her hand at a Tom Waits cover album in 2008 to a mixed reception. Overshadowing both and perhaps more in tune with Goldblum’s style as an actor is William Shatner’s illustrious and infamous career as a singer, which some may prefer to call “vocal performance art.”
Goldblum’s popularity as an actor is hoped to overshadow any hesitations audiences may have. “As far as I can tell, everyone loves Jeff Goldblum. It’s like a universal truth,” Tom Lewis added in his statement. “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.”
Hugh Laurie is a blues musician, not jazz.