KCET to Broadcast Brubeck and Eastwood Docs
KCET TO BROADCAST CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED
'DAVE BRUBECK: IN HIS OWN SWEET WAY' AND
'CLINT EASTWOOD: OUT OF THE SHADOWS'
ON FEBRUARY 8, 2011
Los
Angeles - February 7, 2011 - KCET, independent public media for Southern and
Central California, today announced a night of specials celebrating
entertainment icons Clint Eastwood and Dave Brubeck on Tuesday, February 8,
highlighted with the broadcast of the critically acclaimed Dave Brubeck: In His
Own Sweet Way, a film by Bruce Ricker presented by Clint Eastwood, at 8:00 p.m. The
classic documentary Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows, also directed by Ricker
begins the night at 9:30 p.m.
This
KCET Special Event is made possible by Clint Eastwood, Bruce Ricker, Bruce M.
Ramer, Warner Bros. and Turner Classic Movies. The Warner Home Video/Turner Classic Movies release of Dave Brubeck: In
His Own Sweet Way will be available on DVD and for online digital
download early this summer.
"We welcome the opportunity to pay tribute to two of America's
great artists, who have enriched all of our lives," said Bret Marcus, KCET
Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer. "In acknowledging Eastwood the
film icon, we also acknowledge his lifelong love for jazz, so evident in his
tribute to Brubeck. We hope to present more special events like this on the new
KCET."
Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows -- Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven co-star Morgan Freeman
narrates this entertaining examination of Eastwood's successful
Hollywood
career, which was produced for PBS's "American Masters" series. The
program explores actor/director Clint Eastwood and his art by juxtaposing each
major stage in his life with a corresponding stage in the thematic development
of his work. Clint Eastwood tells his own story, from his childhood in
Depression-era Northern California, to life in the stratosphere of fame and
fortune.
Spanning
several decades, the program highlights the Oscar winner's roles in everything
from Play Misty for Me to Dirty Harry to Space Cowboys. The program includes archival footage, memorable film clips,
commentary and interviews with Gene Hackman, James Garner, director Curtis
Hanson, and many others. The film was directed by Bruce Ricker and written by
Dave Kehr.
Dave
Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way had
its world premiere in New York at The Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter
Reade Theater in December.
Legendary musician and California native Dave Brubeck -- who helped lead a
worldwide jazz renaissance in the early '50s and who, more than a half-century
later (at ninety years old), continues to delight audiences -- is the subject
of this new in-depth documentary executive produced by another piano-playing
great, Clint Eastwood.
Director/Producer
Bruce Ricker (Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me, Thelonius Monk: Straight No
Chaser) blends unseen archival film and photographs, recent and past
interviews, vintage performances and new ones filmed exclusively for the
documentary to create a lyrical tribute to Brubeck's life and career.
Highlights also include revealing conversations and reflections from Eastwood
and fellow Brubeck enthusiasts such as President Bill Clinton, George Lucas,
Sting, Bill Cosby, Yo-Yo Ma, Jamie Cullum, Keith Emerson, David Benoit and
others. Alec Baldwin narrates.
Dave
Brubeck's career in American music, both as a composer and pianist, is now in
its seventh decade and headed towards its eighth, with his creative abilities
unabated. Brubeck's albums have sold nearly three million copies to date.* His
experiments in odd time signatures, and other musical improvisations and forms
remain hallmarks of innovation, and many of his songs, like Take Five, Blue
Rondo a la Turk, Unsquare Dance and Pickup Sticks have become classics.
His
long-time musical partner, "alto saxophonist supreme" Paul Desmond, wrote the
Dave Brubeck Quartet's most famous tune, Take Five which was the first purely
instrumental jazz tune to break the one million mark in single's sales. It
remains, to this day, the top-selling jazz single. The album ("Time Out") on
which Take Five was featured is the top-selling jazz album of all time.
ABOUT KCET
On-air,
online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and
educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. With a viewership of 3.6 million viewers in the
average month, KCET is the largest independent public television station in the
country. KCET is the second most-watched public television station in the U.S.
and has the largest geographic reach of any public television station in
California. KCET currently produces the Emmy®, duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal
Connected, a hard-hitting prime-time weekly television news program that
examines the issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its more than
40-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and
regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and
documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's
programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET
is a donor-supported community institution. More than half of the funds raised
to support KCET's operating budget come from individual support. For additional
information about KCET productions, Web-exclusive content, programming
schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org.
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*Source:
Nielsen Soundscan, September 2010
