 The musicians seen on screen throughout the film are actual Los  Angeles musicians who perform and record film scores, with the  exception of actors Jeff Goldblum (qv), Forest Whitaker (qv),  Don Cheadle (qv) and Alex Desert (qv). Everette Harp seen early  in the film at a recording session is an actual jazz saxophonist  with a complete discography. Forest Whitaker also starred in another  film based on jazz, "Bird" in which he played late jazz saxophonist  Charlie "Bird" Parker who is refernced in this film several times  and plays the trumpet in reference to another great jazz musician,  Clifford Brown. Lennie Niehaus, the films composer and arrangers  voice can be heard counting down the orchestra in the opening  recording session that Jeff Goldblum and Forest Whitaker open the  film with. Jack Sheldon who plays Norman, was a jazz trumpet player  performing with the likes of Johnny Mandel and Stan Getz.