Jeff Goldblum performs at Cafe Carlyle
Sep 16, 2014 to Sep 20, 2014
$35 to $150
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Over the past decades, many entertainers have made the intimate Café Carlyle feel like their living room. But on the opening night of his five-evening engagement, film star-cum-jazz-pianist Jeff Goldblum took that concept to a whole new level.
To begin, no one else I’ve ever reviewed has ever come out a full half-hour before their scheduled start time and not only mingled with the SRO crowd -- which included such boldfaced names as Al Roker and Deborah Roberts (celebrating their 19th anniversary), Edward Norton, Fisher Stevens, and John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey – but tested them on Woody Allen quotes, literary trivia, and true-or-false facts about himself and his pals. It was like being part of some star-studded cocktail soiree.
Goldblum’s actual show continued in the same vein, interspersing a handful of jazz tunes with lots of off-the-cuff chatter, comic tangents, and even more quizzes. Fortunately, the music turned out to be quite accomplished, with Goldblum proving to be a first-rate jazz pianist. Meanwhile, his four-piece band, “The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra,” was nothing short of sensational, especially tenor saxophonist Zane Musa, whose full-throttle solos were unlike anything I’ve ever heard.
As to the question of whether Goldblum can sing, I’d say the jury is still out. He only attempted it once, essentially reciting the lyrics of the jazz classic “Stella by Starlight” rather than crooning them in any traditional fashion. Instead, he left what little vocalizing there was to guest artist Hilary Gardner, a lovely up-and-coming jazz singer whose singular renditions of “Autumn in New York” and “The Great City” were extremely satisfying.
Given that Goldblum openly opined that he believes there should be a moratorium on overused phrases, he may not be pleased that his act is best described like this: “And now for something completely different.” But (to use another overused phrase), I call ‘em like I see ‘em.
Author: Brian Scott Lipton
Cafe Carlyle
Cabaret
East 70s
35 E 76th St (Carlyle Hotel)
New York, NY 10021
(212) 744-1600
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