H. Jon Benjamin has one of the most distinctive voices on TV. His vocals have given character to Bob Belcher of Bob’s Burgers, the can of vegetables on Wet Hot American Summer, and of course, the “video games are amazing” guy in those Coke Zero ads.
Now, the gifted comedian is developing a distinctive voice in a new area: jazz. Today, Benjamin announced his debut LP as a jazz bandleader: Well, I Should Have*. As you can see in the trailer below, Benjamin’s piano style is unlike anything you’ve heard before, insofar as it is uniquely terrible.
To be fair, though, Benjamin has no idea how to play the piano, and confesses in the album’s trailer that he has very little interest in jazz. “That’s why I thought it would be funny to make a jazz album,” he says. “In hindsight, I don’t think it’s the best idea in the world.”
All kidding aside, Benjamin’s playing isn’t quite as bad as the project would have you believe; if nothing else, he knows enough about the piano to keep this thing from being entirely unlistenable, and he does manage to form a few chords in there. You can hear it for yourself below.
Well, I Should Have* track list
1. I Can’t Play Piano, Pt. 1
2. I Can’t Play Piano, Pt. 2
3. It Had to Be You
4. I Can’t Play Piano, Pt. 3
5. I Can’t Play Piano, Pt. 4 (Trill Baby Trill)
6. Amy’s Song (The Bum Steer)
Well, I Should Have* is out Friday on Sub Pop.
