Jeff Goldblum chats with Today Radio ahead of Rockhal Concert

Some interviews are just pure joy, and sitting down with Jeff Goldblum was exactly that. The Hollywood legend, jazz pianist, and all-around charismatic presence is heading to Rockhal with his band, The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, for a concert organised by den Atelier. And if our chat is anything to go by, the show promises to be just as fun, surprising, and warm as he is.

Jeff is genuinely delighted to be back on the road, bringing jazz and the American songbook to audiences who might not normally gravitate toward it. From the moment we started talking, his enthusiasm was infectious, every answer peppered with charm, wit, and genuine passion.

At one point, I admitted to Jeff that I didn't know all that much about jazz. His response? Pure Goldblum: "Well, that's fantastic. You're our target audience in a way. You're part of our target audience because sometimes people are, you know, they've seen a movie or two that I've done, and they come in either not liking jazz or it's not up their alley or they don't know much about it. And we get the chance to and responsibility to kinda introduce them and maybe enrol them."

It perfectly sums up what this concert is all about, an invitation, not just for the jazz aficionados, but for anyone open to discovering something new.

We talked about his early experiences with jazz and how the genre first grabbed his attention. "You know, I was taking piano lessons early on when I was a kid in Pittsburgh when my teacher gave me an arrangement that required me to do syncopation. I was playing, you know, Czerny and John Thompson [classic piano lesson music]", he explained, "but once you'd have to go”, at this point, he broke into a playful jazzy melody, “there's something about that swinging beat that I like and a funky beat. You know? There's something that gets me going."

It’s clear that his relationship with jazz is rooted in pure, lifelong joy.

We also spoke about the incredible collaborations he has had over the years, many of whom Fiona Apple, Miley Cyrus, Imelda May, are not necessarily from the jazz world.

Jeff lit up as he explained: "You're so right, Fiona Apple and Miley Cyrus. Gregory Porter is so great, and Kelly Clarkson. But, yes, that's right. And it's, you know, we had no strategy. It's been kind of organic all along. One thing has led to another. And, really, when I was doing that movie Wicked, you know, the second one, which is coming out a little later this year, that's when I met Ariana and Cynthia, so fantastic, great actors and great musicians, and got to talking and singing everything in the world.

"You know, it occurred to us then, and we got to talking, and that's when we developed this little idea to do something together. And Scarlett Johansson, just this last year, we were at the premiere of Asteroid City, the second Wes Anderson movie that we've done together, and we just got to talking at the premiere. And she said, 'hey, you have this band, and, you know, maybe I could sing something'. And she had that idea about that song, The Best Is Yet to Come, and in the bossa nova style, which we then arranged for her. So it all happened kind of as a surprise and spontaneously and organically."

Interestingly, he admitted that when he is on stage, he is not putting on a character, he's simply himself, playful and open, letting the music (and the audience) guide the moment. As he put it, "no, I don't pretend to be anybody else, and it's a very free and fun use of myself. I like to talk to the audience and, you know, be myself."

You can listen to the full interview above. Tickets for Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra at Rockhal are available now via the den Atelier website. Plus, Today Radio will be running a ticket giveaway for the show next week, so stay tuned! And of course, keep listening to Today Radio for the best music, interviews, and giveaways.