Lisa Simpson's Second Grade Blues

Lisa Simpson pours her whole soul through the body of her horn
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Illustration by Nicole Ginelli

Lisa Simpson is the littlest jazz icon around. This much is obvious during the opening sequence of her family's eponymous show in which the eight year old with a starfish hairdo breaks procedure at elementary school band practice and toots out a skilled saxophone solo. Lisa has always been the misfit of the Simpson family, whether she is converting to vegetarianism or challenging the sexism of a Malibu Stacy doll. But throughout the show, her passion for jazz has consistently set her apart, causing Homer to holler through the house some variation of, "Lisa, stop playing that stupid saxophone"

Like the best jazz musicians, Lisa uses her saxophone to express her complex inner self. During a particularly deep bout of depression in the episode "Moaning Lisa," she is entranced by the nighttime serenade of jazzman Bleeding Gums Murphy, who becomes Lisa's hero and tells her that she "plays pretty well for someone with no real problems." After a funky jam session, the "saddest kid in grade number two" discovers that, unlike most of the characters in her universe, she has a healthy outlet for her troubles: the blues. That her musical virtuosity is indicative of a greater emotional depth is only natural; In the ninth season episode "Lisa's Sax," is it revealed that she is given the large instrument as a means of encouraging her gifted nature. When a teeny Lisa clad in pink overalls gives her new tool its first puff, it's like Gabriel blowing his horn.

Regarding his decision to pair Lisa with the baritone saxophone, Matt Groening once said that the humor of matching a small girl with "the biggest, honkin'est, most ridiculous" instrument of them all was irresistible. But Lisa's sax playing is less a tool for laughs than a prime mode for "The Simpsons" to explore serious topics beyond the realm of most animated sitcoms. The pint-sized player is able to access emotions that she may not be able to express through her physical form. Season six episode "'Round Springfield" reunites Lisa and Bleeding Gums to teach the former how to deal with the death of her hero. After initially covering Carole King's "Jazzman" at Bleeding Gums' bedside, the highlight is when Lisa and the ghost of her idol play the song once more, creating a living testament that jazz can take the blues away. In another hospital-centric episode, "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show," Lisa writes a special song for Homer as he lays in a coma. As the scene zooms away, the silhouette of Lisa's hair and horn are cooling like the cover of Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus.

Perhaps the coolest thing about Lisa Simpson and her saxophone is that she is not portrayed as an amateur. Since we rarely see her practicing except for in the opening number, it's safe to assume that Lisa's talent comes from purity of heart. Lisa never plays songs for little fingers. Instead, she honks out the complicated numbers with the ease of a professional. Alf Clausen, who composes all the music for "The Simpsons," has said he instructs the session players to think of Lisa as "a really good player" (Lisa's actual sax solos are played by Terry Harrington). Lisa's passion for a stereotypically male instrument has encouraged young women to pick up the saxophone, as illustrated in a 1996 New York Times article which claimed that hoards of girls were inspired by Lisa. Every chance she's given, Lisa Simpson proves just how sweet it sounds when even the tiniest virtuoso is given a shot.