"Jazzman" is a 1974 song performed by

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...

, from her album ''

Wrap Around Joy ''Wrap Around Joy'' is the sixth album by American singer and songwriter Carole King, released in 1974. The album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart in late 1974 and spun off successful singles with "Jazzman", reaching number ...

''. King composed the music for the song, while David Palmer (formerly of

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...

) wrote the lyrics. The song is best known for its lengthy

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

solos, performed by Tom Scott, while King sings an ode to 'the Jazzman' and the effect he has on her.

Curtis Amy Curtis Amy (October 11, 1929 – June 5, 2002) was an American jazz saxophonist. Biography Amy was born in Houston, Texas, United States. He learned how to play clarinet before joining the Army, and during his time in service, picked up the ten ...

, saxophonist, composer, and former musical director for the Ray Charles band, was the 'jazz man' of the song. Shortly after arriving on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the single rose to the #2 spot for a week in mid-November 1974 (stuck behind " You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" by

Bachman Turner Overdrive Bachman may refer to: *Bachman (surname) *Bachman, Ohio *Bachman, West Virginia *Bachman Khan (1210–1239 or 1240), a Kimak khan *Bachmann knot, often used in mountaineering for ascending on ropes * Bachman Station, a train station on the Dallas A ...

). The song also reached No. 4 in the ''Billboard''

easy listening chart The Adult Contemporary chart is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary radio stations in the United States. The chart is compiled based on airplay data submitted to ''Billboard'' by sta ...

.Hyatt, Wesley (1999). ''The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits'' (Billboard Publications) The B-side of the "Jazzman" single was "You Go Your Way, I'll Go Mine". ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' described "Jazzman" as one of King's most commercial songs, and praised the

playing and backup vocals. ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that "the artist's unique vocal is powerfully backed by strong horns and a great pop arrangement." "Jazzman" was nominated for a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

in the category

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The awar ...

, losing out to

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...

's song "

I Honestly Love You "I Honestly Love You" is a song recorded by Olivia Newton-John released in 1974 on the album '' Long Live Love'' in United Kingdom and ''If You Love Me, Let Me Know'' in the United States. The song became a worldwide pop hit, her first number ...

". "Jazzman" is also prominently featured in ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

'' episode

'Round Springfield "Round Springfield" is the twenty-second episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 30, 1995.. In the episode, Bart is hospitalized ...

", sung by

Yeardley Smith Martha Maria Yeardley Smith ( ; born July 3, 1964) is an American actress, artist and writer. She currently stars as the voice of Lisa Simpson on the long-running animated television series ''The Simpsons''. Smith became an actress in 1982 afte ...

Lisa Simpson Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. She is the middle child and most accomplished of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa was born as a character in ''The Tracey Ullman Sh ...

; it is presented as a duet between Lisa and recurring character

Bleeding Gums Murphy The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...

, who plays the saxophone.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

References

External links

* {{authority control 1974 singles Carole King songs Cashbox number-one singles Songs written by Carole King Songs about jazz Ode Records singles Song recordings produced by Lou Adler 1974 songs Vocal jazz songs

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

See also

References

External links