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Dirty Harry--jazz fan? Perhaps not, but the man who brought him to life sure is, as this 106-minute concert and tribute to Clint Eastwood makes apparent. As a director (and occasional pianist), Eastwood has made no secret of his passion for jazz, using it in films as diverse as Play Misty for Me, Unforgiven, The Bridges of Madison County, and of course Bird, his Charlie Parker biopic. In 1996 a stellar group of musicians, both veterans (pianists Kenny Barron and Jay McShann, singer Jimmy Scott, saxophonist Charles McPherson) and relative youngsters (saxophonist Joshua Redman, singer Kevin Mahogany, Eastwood's son Kyle on bass), assembled in New York to play the music and pay homage to the man. The repertoire is solid, the performances outstanding; but what really sets this program apart is its frequent but understated commingling of film clips with the music itself, to evocative, humorous, and entertaining effect. This one's a keeper. --Sam Graham ... Read more

Reviews (2)

GOOD DVD
THESE ARE WONDERFUL JAZZ MUSICIANS. THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME FROM RATING THIS 5 STARS IS THE CONSTANT INTERRUPTIONS OF FILM CLIPS FROM CLINT'S OLD MOVIES. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE LIKE THIS STUFF BUT WHEN I WATCH MUSIC I LIKE TO GET INTO IT AND I DON'T LIKE COMMENTARY AND FILM CLIPS. EVEN WITH THAT, IT'S STILL GREAT MUSIC. WITH ALL THE RAP MUSIC? NOWADAYS IT'S A JOY TO SEE SOMEONE THAT CAN ACTUALLY PLAY THEIR INSTRUMENTS. I HOPE THAT THIS ISN'T A LOST ART. THESE GUY'S PLAY AS WELL AT THE OLD JAZZ GREATS. THE SOUND IS REAL GOOD TOO.

Deserves a 10
This 1996 Carnegie Hall concert rates right up there with the best -- Billie Holliday, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis..... For me, watching James Carter and Joshua Redman together riff with the Carnegie Center Jazz Orch is worth the price of admission, but there is much, much more and a collection of great vocalists and instrumentalists having a good time and letting it all loose. If you haven't heard Kevin Mahogany or caught Jay McShann (in whose band Charlie Parker cut his teeth) here's your chance. And, if Lester Leaps In, with Redman, James Moody, Roy Hargrove, Charles McPherson, Flip Phillips, Carter and company doesn't leave you wanting to dance in the gilded aisles nothing ever will. Though some purists might object to the occasional cuts (rather brief and often witty) from Eastwood movies and the laid back comments of patron Clint himself (and his less laid back piano playing), I found it all rather well done and thoroughly enjoyable. The guy's paid his dues to this art form and he gets his just deserts here. Above all, fine sound, excellent photography and almost two hours of the best jazz you will find on film. A great intro to jazz across generations and its contemporary energy. Full stop. ... Read more

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Kansas City in the 1930s was a wild, wide-open place. Under politicalboss Tom Pendergast, the booze flowed freely, prostitution and gamblingflourished, and the Depression pretty much passed the city by, making it anideal spawning ground for some great music. Pianist-bandleader Count Basie,saxophone immortals Lester Young and Charlie Parker, and blues belters Big JoeTurner and Jimmy Rushing were all working there, along with a host of lesser- known but equally formidable musicians, and they all played the blues, KansasCity style.

Director Bruce Ricker's 90-minute The Last of the Blue Devils chroniclesthe 1979 reunion of many of these legendary players, combining interviews,vintage film footage, photos, and some inimitably swinging performances byBasie, Turner, pianist Jay McShann, and many others to create an intimate, good- natured portrait of what one old-timer calls the "cool, relaxed sound" of thecity. The camaraderie among these men, all of whom are colorful raconteurs(drummer Ernie Williams's harangues to some bemused local kids are especiallyentertaining), is palpable. But it's the music, unsurprisingly, that's the mainattraction; performances include some familiar tunes, like Turner's "Shake,Rattle & Roll" and a Basie big band version of "Night Train" (featuring tenorsaxophonist Jimmy Forrest, the tune's composer) that's as greasy as the localbarbecue. The Last of the Blue Devils is an absolute delight. --SamGraham ... Read more

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Bruce Ricker's documentary Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadowsoffers an entertaining, in-depth look at this American icon. It's hard tobelieve now, but there was a time when Clint Eastwood and his films werecasually dismissed by critics as inconsequential pop tripe. This film exploresEastwood's career from his early days as a stock player on the Universal lot tohis seven years on TV's Rawhide, and his breakout hits with Italianspaghetti westerns through his eventual acceptance by the critical cognoscentias an elder statesman of film. Punctuated with great interviews and pricelesshome movies and outtake footage, this film is sure to make any Eastwood fan'sday. --Kristian St. Clair ... Read more