“Piano Blues,” like all the earlier movies in Scorsese’s collection, boasts some spectacular interviews. Eastwood is seen at a piano speaking to the likes of Ray Charles, Pinetop Perkins, Marcia Bell, Dave Brubeck, and Dr. John, all of whom muse on the function of the piano in American musical historical past. The 67-minute movie, and all the opposite “Blues” episodes, might be bought on DVD via PBS’ web site. Or you may get the soundtrack CDs. CDs are cool once more.
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Eastwood, a considerably completed musician in his personal proper, was capable of communicate intelligently about music with the above legends, and his celeb, little doubt, made a few of the musicians completely satisfied to take part. Eastwood, one may recall, launched a file in 1997 known as “Eastwood After Hours: Dwell at Carnegie Corridor,” which featured performances of the scores from a number of Eastwood motion pictures. He even performed somewhat himself on that file.
Whereas Eastwood was the credited director of “Piano Blues,” his producing accomplice, Bruce Ricker, was the actual blues lover of the 2. It was Ricker’s concept to make Eastwood’s “The Blues” section concerning the piano. Ricker had beforehand produced, with Eastwood, the 1988 doc “Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser,” and it was Ricker who produced “Eastwood After Hours.” Sadly, that Monk biopic by no means received made.
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After the pair had labored on Scorsese’s “Blues” collection, Eastwood and Ricker continued to discover the style, with Eastwood both producing or serving as an govt producer on further Ricker tasks, all of them biographical documentaries. Ricker made “Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That” in 2005, “Tony Bennett: The Music By no means Ends” in 2007, and “Johnny Mercer: The Dream’s on Me” in 2009 earlier than reuniting with Brubeck to make “Dave Brubeck: In His Personal Candy Approach” in 2010.
As of this writing, Eastwood is about to show 95, and Scorsese is 82. Scorsese continues to be energetic whereas Eastwood had but to formally retire (though his 2024 courtroom drama, “Juror #2,” was billed as his doubtlessly closing movie), so it is not fully unattainable they are going to collaborate once more. Time will inform.
