Comedians & Jazz
Over the years, jazz has sometimes found itself in the crosshairs of comedians. Here are two very funny routines about the music we love.
The InterviewM: Though often attributed to Lenny Bruce, and even included on an album of Bruce sketches, “The Interview” was actually made by music producer Harold Jacobs, who was involved with Fantasy Records.
Paul F. Tompkins: Tompkins is a brilliant comedian and writer and actor and podcaster. This clip is from his 2007 album Impersonal.
3 Responses
It’s funny because it’s true, but that is why we love jazz. What people make fun of is why we love it. I do have to laugh at the suggestion that jazz is only for people who are super intelligent. I know plenty of people who are not the smartest in the world that love jazz passionately and can’t get enough of it. I think you either “get” jazz or you don’t. I don’t think that you have to be super intelligent in order to appreciate it. To me, in some way I think that is what has been holding jazz back lately which is the impression that it is for high brow audiences only which I think is not true. I’ve been in Carnegie Hall with upper crust audiences hanging out with Branford Marsalis and some cool types, but I’ve also just listened to the jazz groups in hotel lounges while I’m traveling that are packed with tourists. People don’t realize that the music to the old Charlie Brown holiday specials is jazz and little kids can’t get enough of that. I would like the jazz community to start dispelling that myth which is jazz isn’t accessible for most people.
It is. They just have to be exposed to it.
John you are always the voice of reason. Thank you for your wise comments 🙂
One last point on this. There is this great ad for Lincoln automobiles with the actor Matthew McConaughey in them where the music and the mood is a jazz number. The ad is so cool and so is the entire mood because of the jazz. That’s a mainstream commercial and it shows how jazz is really the soundtrack of our lives. I’m so tired of the idea that jazz is just for this subset of the culture. It is not. It is America’s original art form and it just enriches my life and many others!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fakTNw56mw8