Jeff Goldblum, who didn’t visit Philly much as a kid, is bringing his Mildred Snitzer Orchestra to the city
The actor has played piano for most of his life, and launched the band 30 years ago, originally as a side project between acting jobs.
Growing up on the other side of the state in West Homestead, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh, Jeff Goldblum didn’t have much occasion to venture eastward to Philadelphia. But over the phone from his home city earlier this week, where he was due to perform with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at Heinz Hall on Tuesday, he did recall one brush with Philly from those early years.
On Saturdays, Goldblum attended the famed Tam O’Shanter art classes at Carnegie Museum of Art, whose former students included Andy Warhol.
“We would dress up,” Goldblum recalled. “It was very adult, a little bit formal and high-minded. My dad would drive me there, and one Saturday we were having breakfast at the counter at Webster Hall [Hotel]. It was only us and one other guy at the end of the counter, and my dad said, ‘You see that guy over there? That’s Sonny Jurgensen.’ He was the star quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, who were in town to play the Steelers. That’s a little bit of a Philadelphia connection.”
Goldblum will make some new Philadelphia connections on Wednesday night when he leads his band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, at Miller Theater to kick off Ensemble Arts Philly’s jazz season.
The actor has played piano for most of his life, and launched the band 30 years ago, originally as a side project between acting jobs.
It’s become a much more serious endeavor over the last decade. It has released five albums including the latest, Night Blooms, which features vocal appearances by Melody Gardot, Scarlett Johansson, Charlie Puth, and Goldblum’s Wicked co-stars, Ariana Grande, and Cynthia Erivo.
He spoke to The Inquirer about his music, his acting, and his music-acting.
This conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity.
When we last spoke in 2018, did you have any idea that this band was going to become such a major part of your life?
JG: No, it was still in its seedling stage. I’d been doing it since I was a kid, and I’d get jobs in Pittsburgh at cocktail lounges as a lark. But I wanted to be an actor. Then 30 years ago, Peter Weller and I did this movie, Buckaroo Banzai, together, and he said, ‘Let’s play at each other’s houses.’ He had a pal, believe it or not, Miles Davis, who said, ‘Instead of just going through the fake books at your houses, you guys should get a gig and play with some real musicians. It’ll be fun and you’ll get better.’ I kept it going in between jobs, and I think we’re getting better and better, and I’m enjoying it more and more.
You’re singing now as well as playing the piano. Much of your repertoire consists of American Songbook standards, which tend to be story or character songs, much of it from movies or musicals. Do you apply your acting talents to interpreting those songs as a singer and as an instrumentalist?
JG: Certainly when I’m singing, I’m trying my best to tell the story and be newly inspired and informed by the words and what I’m singing about. But yes, as you say, when I’m playing an instrumental and there are lyrics that we’re not using, sometimes I like to think of those as I’m trying to make the piano sing.
After so many years of playing characters, is it strange for you to be on stage as yourself — or is there still a persona that you’re playing with the band?
JG: Well, two things can be true at the same time. I try to be as authentic as possible. I’m not trying to arrange myself in any way that will have a particular effect. On the other hand, I do like to be very kind of specific with how I dress these days. I get excited about working with [stylist] Andrew Voterro, who collaborates with me on that kind of stuff. So it’s not the whole story, but it’s a bit of a characterful part of me.
Beyond the classic material that you’re playing with the Orchestra, what music have you been digging into lately?
JG: We recorded ‘Misty’, and I’ve talked about my love of Erroll Garner, who was my dad’s favorite piano player. My band recommended [Garner’s 1955 live album] Concert By the Sea, and I’d never heard some of that stuff. It’s on my phone right now as I work out, and that’s a whole bushel of music that I’m crazy about.
I was just listening to Glenn Close talk about The Big Chill, and how we used to get together and listen to Michael McDonald, who had an album out right then, and I’ve come upon some yacht rock stuff that I get a kick out of. And of course we’ve got these two kids, River and Charlie, who have some passions of their own. We have dance parties and they play all kinds of things. MC Hammer’s ‘Can’t Touch This’ was one of River’s favorites, so I put on Tower of Power, but they turned up their noses at that.
There will inevitably be people in the audience who might not typically go to a jazz concert, who are there because they’re fans of your films. How do you approach the performance with that in mind?
JG: That’s occurred to me. I’m particularly thrilled by it because it’s my delight and responsibility to sometimes introduce people to some of these classic songs and this kind of music. In fact, just recently I’ve taken to making a little primer to what they might expect, a couple of words that might enhance their appreciation of what they’re about to see that’s noncondescending and nonpatronizing — nothing that sounds like Jeffsplaining.
Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Oct. 7, 8 p.m., Miller Theater, 250 S Broad St, Phila., ensembleartsphilly.org
