AILSA CHANG, HOST:
If you're tired of doom scrolling while waiting for election results, we feel you. So we mined the NPR archives for stories that have absolutely nothing to do with politics. And this one is a deep cut. In 2016, NPR's Robert Siegel spoke with actor and comedian H. Jon Benjamin about a jazz album on which he plays piano. Now, Jon Benjamin had not learned to play the piano at all. His album is called, "Well, I Should Have...Learned How To Play Piano."
(SOUNDBITE OF H. JON BENJAMIN'S "I CAN'T PLAY PIANO, PT. 2")
ROBERT SIEGEL, BYLINE: This is called, "I Can't Play Piano, Pt. 2." And it's obvious you can't play piano.
H JON BENJAMIN: I really can't. And it really shows.
SIEGEL: And yet, here you are...
BENJAMIN: Yeah.
SIEGEL: ...Playing with some guys who seem to know what they're doing, right?
BENJAMIN: They were very accomplished jazz musicians that I played with and me.
(SOUNDBITE OF H. JON BENJAMIN'S "I CAN'T PLAY PIANO, PT. 2")
SIEGEL: The name of this album is "Well, I Should Have..., " subtitled "Learned How To Play Piano."
BENJAMIN: Yeah. It's very literal.
SIEGEL: Now, you're playing with professional jazz musicians - Scott Kreitzer on sax, David Finck on bass, and Jonathan Peretz is playing drums. Was this an act of friendship or just a measure of the jazz economy that you got to do whatever gig comes along?
BENJAMIN: They were very nice to do it, and I'm not sure they realized what they were doing till we got there. And then they were mad but not mad enough to stop altogether. So they went through with it, and they were great.
(SOUNDBITE OF H. JON BENJAMIN'S "I CAN'T PLAY PIANO, PT. 2")
SIEGEL: Well (laughter)...
BENJAMIN: That is real untapped untalent.
SIEGEL: (Laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF H. JON BENJAMIN'S "I CAN'T PLAY PIANO, PT. 2")
BENJAMIN: He's good.
SIEGEL: Yeah. He knows what he's doing. Yeah.
BENJAMIN: He really does.
SIEGEL: Yeah.
BENJAMIN: But that's just not as interesting.
SIEGEL: I think it lacks the complete sense of free-form surprise that we have...
BENJAMIN: Right.
SIEGEL: ...When you're actually...
BENJAMIN: He's not taking any risk.
SIEGEL: (Laughter).
BENJAMIN: He just knows how to do it.
SIEGEL: How safe to actually...
BENJAMIN: I feel bad for people like that. Yeah.
SIEGEL: (Laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF H. JON BENJAMIN'S "I CAN'T PLAY PIANO, PT. 2")
SIEGEL: Are you going to do any live performances to promote this?
BENJAMIN: Well, it's funny. I've been asked a couple times, but I'm not sure I want to do that. I'm really going to dedicate myself to learning how to play. And maybe by next album, I'll be decent.
SIEGEL: Is that right? Are you trying to learn...
BENJAMIN: I've started...
SIEGEL: ...How to play?
BENJAMIN: ...Taking lessons, so...
SIEGEL: (Laughter) I see. You're sort of charting a reverse career which begins with the recording contract...
BENJAMIN: It's a real insult to people who try.
SIEGEL: ...And then eventually makes its way to actual lessons on the instrument.
BENJAMIN: I mean, look. There's a distinct possibility that I'll be very good.
SIEGEL: (Laughter).
BENJAMIN: I don't know, like, how it's going to turn out. I just started doing the lessons, so I might be incredibly good.
CHANG: That was comedian H. Jon Benjamin in 2016, speaking with Robert Siegel about his jazz album, "Well, I Should Have...Learned How To Play Piano."
(SOUNDBITE OF H. JON BENJAMIN'S "I CAN'T PLAY PIANO, PT. 2") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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