The ultimate goal of Birding With Charles was always to bring people together to marvel at the wonderful world of birds. In the spring, a very stoned Valee stood in awe of the majestic creatures as he learned how to use binoculars. As the summer ended, Doja Cat remixed her viral hit “Moo!” into “Bitch, I’m a Bird.” Then on a brisk November morning, Jeff Goldblum decided to come to Central Park to partake in the serene world of birdwatching. Throughout the day, Jeff saw cardinals, blue jays, and woodpeckers as he discussed working on his new album with the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This.
The primary objective of this episode, was seeing two charming men from two different worlds enjoying each other’s company and searching for songbirds Goldblum could feature on his next jazz album. Predictably, what unfolded was a day of confused looks, explaining cultural moments separated by decades, but most importantly laughter. It’s partially what lead to this exchange that is forever part of Rolling Stone‘s legacy now, much to my editors’ chagrin.
Charles: Give me really quick before we watch the bird, “the top five jazz artists with the best drip.”
Jeff: Drip meaning…
Charles: They’re drowning in drip.
Jeff: Drowning in drip, I think I know what that means. I love Thelonious Monk. I love Keith Jarrett. I love Oscar Peterson.
Charles: A lot of drip.
Jeff: I love Louis Armstrong.
Charles: Classic.
Jeff: And one more I guess, Charles Mingus.
Charles: He dripped hard.
Jeff: Drowning in drip. I’d say. That’s the name of our next album, Drowning In Drip. It’s also my production company, ‘Drowning In Drip Pictures.’
Charles: You might want to hit up Gunna. He might sue you.
Jeff: Who?
Charles: Gunna.
In short, the latest episode of Birding With Charles proves that an ignorance of modern pop culture mixed with an exuberance for birds can bring any odd couple together.