Keep On Keepin’ On

At 94, Clark Terry (“CT”) is celebrated as one of the great exponents of jazz trumpet/flugelhorn, played with Basie AND Ellington, plus on a massive number of recordings; admired and loved by all.

But with advancing age what keeps all this achievement current? For CT it’s always been his mentorship of young musicians. One of his success stories, Quincy Jones, is a co-producer of this documentary which follows the progress of Justin Kauflin – a blind keyboard prodigy.

Scenes between CT and JK get a bit too warm and fuzzy too frequently for my liking – but that’s the filmmaker’s fault (jazz has any amount of sentiment, but should never be sentimental).

Ultimately we discover that not only is Clark Terry a great player, he’s also a very decent human being. And, I’ve learnt a new saying I intend to use often: “Straight Ahead!”

It’s a must-see for jazz fans.  (MMu)

3.5/5 stars

By Michael Muir