Jazzman
1974 song by Carole King
"Jazzman" is a 1974 song performed by Carole King, from her album Wrap Around Joy. King composed the music for the song, while David Palmer (formerly of Steely Dan) wrote the lyrics.
The song is best known for its lengthy saxophone solos, performed by Tom Scott, while King sings an ode to 'the Jazzman' and the effect he has on her. Curtis Amy, saxophonist, composer, and former musical director for the Ray Charles band, was the 'jazz man' of the song.
Released in August, the song peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart the week of November 9, 1974 (stuck behind "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive). That same week, it was #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. In King's hometown of New York, "Jazzman" hit No. 1 on the WABC Musicradio 77 Survey for the week of November 12. The song also reached No. 4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
"Jazzman" is also prominently featured in The Simpsons episode "'Round Springfield", sung by Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson; it is presented as a duet between Lisa and the ghost of recurring character Bleeding Gums Murphy, who plays the saxophone.
01Reception
Billboard described "Jazzman" as one of King's most commercial songs, and praised the saxophone playing and backup vocals. Cash Box said that "the artist's unique vocal is powerfully backed by strong horns and a great pop arrangement." Record World said that its King's "most animated single...since 'I Feel the Earth Move'" and "features the fine sax solos of Tom Scott, along with her own strong overdubbing."
"Jazzman" was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1975 in the category Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, losing out to Olivia Newton-John's song "I Honestly Love You".
02Chart performance
Weekly charts |
Year-end charts
|
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Jazzman”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Jazzmancover.jpg by Unknown author, Fair use
Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.
