“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 position of the piano in American musical historical past. The 67-minute movie, and all the opposite “Blues” episodes, may be bought on DVD by way of PBS’ web site. Or you will get the soundtrack CDs. CDs are cool once more.
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Eastwood, a considerably achieved musician in his personal proper, was capable of converse intelligently about music with the above legends, and his movie star, little question, made a few of the musicians completely happy to take part. Eastwood, one would possibly recall, launched a report in 1997 referred to as “Eastwood After Hours: Stay at Carnegie Corridor,” which featured performances of the scores from a number of Eastwood films. He even performed just a little himself on that report.
Whereas Eastwood was the credited director of “Piano Blues,” his producing associate, Bruce Ricker, was the actual blues lover of the 2. It was Ricker’s concept to make Eastwood’s “The Blues” section in regards to 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 Means” 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 probably remaining movie), so it isn’t fully inconceivable they’ll collaborate once more. Time will inform.
