I don't think there has ever been much denial in the fact that Jeff Goldblum is the coolest actor of all time, someone I've always loved to see on the big screen and one of my favourite actors of all time. So when I heard he was making a jazz album I was intrigued and slightly scared, seeing other actors take on music has never worked well (Here's looking at you Bruce Willis) and despite the outright genius of Donald Glover (Childish Gambino) there's not really any good ones that spring to mind, until now...
Jeff Goldblum rarely ever takes centre stage on this album, despite the introduction of various singers and guests throughout, even his piano playing stays well within it's aligned parameters. That's the most refreshing thing about this, Mr Goldblum doesn't take this as a vanity project, instead this is one of the most enticing and personal projects of the year. The live recording and the interactions between the likes of Sarah Silverman and Haley Reinhart and Jeff make this feel less like your average 'album' and more like a front and centre seat at one of Jeff Goldblum's jazz nights. A real listening experience.
Sarah Silverman's appearance isn't something that really got me going, her singing compared to that of Haley Reinhart and Imelda May really was second class unfortunately, however she clearly had the best chemistry with Jeff so what was lacked in musical talent was made up with wit and humour in the song "Me and My Shadow". However, the opener "Cantaloupe Island" was what really got me salivating, each of the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra seemed to be vying for centre stage until the trumpet blasted them all away with out a second thought towards the middle of the song only for the other instruments to fade back into relevancy to recreate the magic of the beginning of the song - this is one of the must listen tunes of the year to be honest!
Listening to this album I feel like I should be wearing a suit and drinking an overpriced martini, it's very high class music that I enjoyed so much the first time I listened to it that I was shocked when it finished because it felt so short, despite the fact it isn't. What Jeff Goldblum has created here is one of the most inclusive pieces of music, to genuinely feel a part of the music is something I've rarely ever felt in any of my listening experiences and yet this is what I find here - it makes it such a bold move to release it as it is but it pays off ten fold and I can see myself revisiting this album a lot in the future.
9/10