Alright, raise your hand if you’re just learning now that Jeff Goldblum has apparently been playing jazz piano his entire life, and performing in cocktail lounges since the age of 15?
Raises hand
The beloved actor, star of everything from Jurassic Park and Thor: Ragnarok to Cronenberg’s The Fly, is releasing the first album of his career, turning over yet another creative leaf in the process. Apparently, it’s a skill that Goldblum has long cherished—he grow up with instruction in classical and jazz piano and has kept up with it ever since, leading a band called “The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.” To date, the group has never recorded an album, but that will change after a performance on The Graham Norton Show caught the eye of producers at Decca Records.
“As far as I can tell, everyone loves Jeff Goldblum,” said Tom Lewis, the label’s head of A&R. “It’s like a universal truth … 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.”
Goldbum, meanwhile, said the following in the announcement’s press release: “I’m so happy to be in cahoots with the wonderful people at Decca, one of the coolest and most prestigious labels of all time.”
So there you go. Goldblum is of course in the midst of yet another high-profile run of films, appearing in the upcoming Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom as well as last year’s Thor: Ragnarok as the scene-stealing Master. As for the album itself, one can’t help but be reminded of an actor like House’s Hugh Laurie, who has put out a number of New Orleans-inspired jazz albums on the side.
Here’s hoping that the internet is kind to the first Jeff Goldblum album, decades in the making. There’s no date yet for said album’s release, but we’ll let you know when we know.