The storied actor is also a skilled jazz pianist and band leader

Jeff Goldblum—yes, that Jeff Goldblum—and his Mildred Snitzer Orchestra took the stage at Lincoln Theater in Washington, DC on Thursday (May 30th) for an evening of jazz, movie trivia, and mayhem.

The mayhem, of course, was on brand for an actor who has made his career being quirky yet lovable, esoteric yet approachable. Name another jazz performer whose fans would show up in yoga pants festooned with his face. I’ll wait.

Goldblum acted as his opening act, taking questions from the audience, pausing for selfies, and playing “the movie game.” (Goldblum shrugged the amount of time the funnel in this six-degrees-of-separation type game came around to his works. It is to play down being so prolific.)

The eight-piece ensemble played with smiles on their faces. In sync, they seemed to genuinely enjoy each other’s musical company. It felt as breezy as jazz should. Perhaps that’s because there seemed to be no pressure. It is kind of a side gig, after all.

But a side gig Goldblum has been very serious about. The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra—named after a friend of Goldblum’s mother—has released four records between 2018 and 2023. And there was a passing mention of another new album in the works. (Unless I misheard and he was simply referencing 2023’s Plays Well With Others.)

The night also featured breaks to be lay movie trivia, and Goldblum continued his banter with the audience. It was in these moments that he created the on-brand zaniness fans of his movies have come to expect. It was a genius way to include the curious who may have come more for the actor’s famously beloved personality but stayed for the music.

The group’s singer Tawanda joined intermittently. Her vocals on “Moon River” were especially stunning. Afterward, movie buff Goldblum couldn’t help but giddy quiz his singer about which movie in which Audrey Hepburn sings the song. (Spoiler: it was Breakfast at Tiffany’s).

Earlier in the night during the Q&A, your ever-curious reporter asked Goldblum which came first: love of music or acting. His answer, “Both, at the same time. When I was doing a school play.”

I’ll confess, that I often find the live performance of jazz music mind-numbingly bland, with its practitioners focused inward on their technical skill. But the pure glee emanating from the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra made for a hand-clapping, toe-tapping fun time. The love of playing was front and center, just as it should be.