I’m never really sure how to rate a comedy album. Do you judge it on the content? On the flow? Or do you go by how many times an album makes you laugh? How hard you laugh? Does a giggle get a lower grade? A chuckle a higher one? What about guffaws? Belly busters?
For the purposes of not wasting your time anymore with nonsensicals I’m just going to say that if it makes me laugh throughout and the jokes stay with me, it’s a winner in my book.
Which brings us to the focus of our new feature “Jokes!” and Mr. Jasper Redd’s latest Jazz Talk. According to his press release he’s appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly, Lopez Tonight, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Tosh.0 to name a few. All I know is, the promo came across my desk and the track listing looked interesting. Best decision I ever made!
With a vocal cadence like no one else in the biz today, Redd covers everything from the mystery of McDonald’s gluttonous mascot Grimace (Redd’s “Mctheory” is that Grimace is the color of your heart, “purple and fucked up”, just before a McD brought on heart attack), where Whopper Jr’s come from (“I don’t mess with the Whopper Jr. because that mean the Whopper been fuckin!”), and some thoughts on his fellow African-Americans and the fascination with slavery films (“Hate slavery, love slavery movies. It’s like a cow watching how hamburgers are made. Why you wanna watch that?”).
And that’s just the first half! Beyond that you get some observations on The Michelin Man (Yes, the tire mascot), a new name for The White House (“Halfway House”), and how audio commentary on DVD’s was invented by the black man (“We’ve been talking over movies for decades!”).
You might not have known this Knoxville native before but with Jazz Talk in stores now and available on Netflix, there will soon be no excuse not to know Jasper Redd.
Jazz Talk is available digitally on Amazon now through New Wave Dynamics. Do yourself a favor and check it out!