{{short description|1974 song by Carole King}} {{for|the French magazine|Jazzman (magazine)}} {{Distinguish|Jazz Man Records}} {{Infobox song | name = Jazzman | cover = Jazzmancover.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = [[Carole King]] | album = [[Wrap Around Joy]] | B-side = You Go Your Way, I'll Go Mine | released = August 22, 1974 | recorded = 1974 | studio = [[A&M Studios|A&M]] ([[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]]) | venue = | genre = {{hlist|[[Pop music|Pop]]|[[jazz]]}} | length = 3:44 | label = [[Ode Records|Ode]] | writer = [[Carole King]], [[David Palmer (vocalist)|David Palmer]] | producer = [[Lou Adler]] | prev_title = Corazon | prev_year = 1973 | next_title = [[Nightingale (Carole King song)|Nightingale]] | next_year = 1975 }}
"'''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 (vocalist)|David Palmer]] (formerly of [[Steely Dan]]) wrote the lyrics.
The song is best known for its lengthy [[saxophone]] solos, performed by [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|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.{{Citation needed|date=May 2012}}
Released in August, the song peaked at #2 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart the week of November 9, 1974 (stuck behind "[[You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet (Bachman-Turner Overdrive song)|You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet]]" by [[Bachman Turner Overdrive]]).<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1974-11-09 |title=Billboard Hot 100 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=1974-11-09 |access-date=2015-12-05}}</ref> That same week, it was #1 on the [[Cash Box Top 100|''Cash Box'' Top 100]] chart. <ref>{{cite book|title=Cash Box Pop Hits: 1952-1996|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|year=2014| author-link=Joel Whitburn|publisher=Sheridan Books,Inc.|ISBN=978-0-89820-209-0}}</ref> In King's hometown of New York, "Jazzman" hit No. 1 on the [[WABC (AM)|WABC Musicradio 77]] Survey for the week of November 12.<ref>[https://www.musicradio77.com/Surveys/1974/surveynov1274.html Musicradio77.com "Weekly Survey for 12 November 1974"]</ref> The song also reached No. 4 on the [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|''Billboard'' Adult Contemporary]] chart. <ref>{{cite book|title=Top Adult Songs:1961–2006|last=Whitburn|first=Joel|year=2007|publisher=Record Research}}</ref>
"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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lostsongs.substack.com/p/jazzman-carole-king-lisa-simpson-bleeding-gums|title=How Carole King and Lisa Simpson Made "Jazzman" Work|first=Mark|last=Blankenship|author-link=Mark Blankenship| website=The Lost Songs Project| via=Substack| date=June 26, 2023}}</ref>
==Reception== ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' described "Jazzman" as one of King's most commercial songs, and praised the [[saxophone]] playing and backup vocals.<ref name=bb>{{cite news|title=Top Single Picks|newspaper=Billboard|access-date=2020-07-22|date=August 24, 1974|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1974/Billboard%201974-08-24.pdf|page=50}}</ref> ''[[Cash Box]]'' said that "the artist's unique vocal is powerfully backed by strong horns and a great pop arrangement."<ref name=cb>{{cite news|title=CashBox Record Reviews|date=August 24, 1974|page=18|accessdate=2021-12-11|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1974/CB-1974-08-24.pdf|newspaper=Cash Box}}</ref> ''[[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."<ref name=rw>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=August 24, 1974|accessdate=2023-03-15|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/74/RW-1974-08-24.pdf}}</ref>
"Jazzman" was nominated for a [[Grammy Award]] in [[Grammy Awards of 1975|1975]] in the category [[Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance|Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]], losing out to [[Olivia Newton-John]]'s song "[[I Honestly Love You]]".<ref name="Hyatt">Hyatt, Wesley (1999). ''The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits'' (Billboard Publications)</ref>
==Chart performance== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !align="left"|Chart (1974) !align="left"|Peak<br />position |- |align="left"|[[RPM (magazine)|Canada]] Top Singles ([[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'']])<ref>[http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3868a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3868a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3868a RPM Top Singles] 9 November 1974.</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|2 |- |align="left"|[[RPM (magazine)|Canada]] Adult Contemporary (''RPM'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.6144&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.6144.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.6144 |title=Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada |website=Bac-lac.gc.ca |date=17 July 2013 |access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |- |align="left"|U.S. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Hot 100<ref>''Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990'' - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|2 |- |align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks|Adult Contemporary]] | style="text-align:center;"|4 |- |align="left"|U.S. ''[[Cash Box]]'' Top 100<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19741109.html |title=CASH BOX Top 100 Singles - Week ending NOVEMBER 9, 1974 |access-date=2016-05-19 |archive-date=2022-05-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523200317/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19741109.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|1 |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable" |- !align="left"|Chart (1974) ! style="text-align:center;"|Rank |- |Canada ''RPM'' Top Singles<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3893a&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3893a.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3893a |title=Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada |website=Bac-lac.gc.ca |date=17 July 2013 |access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|33 |- |U.S. ([[Joel Whitburn]]'s ''Pop Annual'')<ref>{{cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |date=1999 |title=Pop Annual |location=Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin |publisher=Record Research Inc. |isbn=0-89820-142-X}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|42 |} {{col-end}}
== See also ==
* [[1974 in music]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{YouTube|5GK7c5ggNT8|Listen to "Jazzman"}}
{{Carole King}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:1974 singles]] [[Category:Carole King songs]] [[Category:Cashbox number-one singles]] [[Category:Songs written by Carole King]] [[Category:Songs about jazz]] [[Category:Ode Records singles]] [[Category:Song recordings produced by Lou Adler]] [[Category:1974 songs]] [[Category:Vocal jazz songs]]