West Homestead native Jeff Goldblum has a knack for booking roles in lucrative Hollywood franchises like Jurassic Park and the Marvel universe, but he's nurtured another love, albeit quietly, for most of his life: jazz.
Goldblum, who introduced his Mildred Snitzer Orchestra to Pittsburgh via two soldout shows on Valentine's Day, says he caught the piano bug as a teenager, cold-calling jazz clubs to let him sit in on sets and catching rides from female singers. He played small gigs off and on as his acting career flourished, and these days, hosts a standing weekly engagement at the Rockwell Table and Stage in Los Angeles.
90.5 WESA's Megan Harris talked to Goldblum ahead of his homecoming performances about his memories of Pittsburgh, how he fell for jazz and the way his devotion to acting and characteristic physicality inform his weekly and touring shows. Goldblum says he's already batting around a follow up to his debut album, The Capitol Studio Sessions, released in November. If they tour again, he says, Pittsburgh will likely make the cut.
Elsewhere in the program:
In his budget address last week, Gov. Tom Wolf proposed raising teacher salaries and boosting the minimum wage. Wolf outlines his priorities at the start of his second term, including Lt. Gov. John Fetterman's ongoing listening tour about legalizing recreational marijuana.
90.5 WESA's Lucy Perkins reports on an alleged tirade carried out last weekend by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette publisher John Robinson Block inside the P-G newsroom. The editorial page has shifted notably to the right in recent years, and political cartoonist Rob Rogers was fired after a string of comics criticized the President. Newsroom staffers recently accused Block of labor violations.
And 90.5 WESA's Chris Potter and Ariel Worthy explain a busy week in local political news, including a hearing on proposed gun legislation in Pittsburgh and a growing list of primary candidates seeking the Democratic party's endorsement.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in weekdays at 9 a.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators join veteran journalist Kevin Gavin, taking an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
