Charlie Puth's Overdue Jam Session

"The Blue Note Jazz Club, in the Village, is not known for its legroom. But the other afternoon the joint was nearly deserted. A lonely employee was rolling forks into navy-blue napkins by the bar. The thirty-three-year-old pop star Charlie Puth, headlining his first jazz residency, was due for a sound check with his band. Fans had already lined up outside for the 8 P.M. show."

""Hey! Hey! One, two!" a stagehand barked into a mike, maneuvering past a Roland Jupiter-80 synth keyboard. "Guest vocal! One, two!" Members of the band started taking their spots on the tiny stage. Snare hits rang out like paintball shots and bass riffs bounced off the mirrored walls. An engineer sat down behind a soundboard; suddenly, a few seconds of music burst from the speakers-a new song, "Beat Yourself Up," from Puth's upcoming album."

"Puth rushed in just after four, wearing AirPods Max headphones over a blue dad cap. As if magnetized, he veered straight for a sparkly red Rhodes keyboard. ("It's actually a Rhodes shell with a synthesizer," he said later. "I'm using a Yamaha CP-70 sound." Ah, of course.) "Louis, if you can hear me, put the flex up to forty or fifty," Puth told another engineer. He then launched into a funkified cover of "Love," by Keyshia Cole."

The Blue Note Jazz Club was nearly empty during an afternoon sound check for Charlie Puth's first jazz residency. Band members and engineers prepared equipment while fans waited outside for the evening show. Puth arrived wearing headphones and immediately took command of the rehearsal, selecting a Rhodes-shell synthesizer for a Yamaha CP-70 sound and directing engineers on settings. He guided the group through key changes, rehearsed new material including 'Beat Yourself Up,' and performed a funkified cover of Keyshia Cole's 'Love.' Puth balanced technical direction with performance, revealing a deep engagement with jazz-informed musicianship despite mainstream pop status.

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