Keep On Keepin' On

Synopsis: Legendary jazz trumpeter and inspirational teacher Clark Terry was a mentor to the likes of Quincy Jones and Miles Davis and is one of the few old time jazz musos to have played with both Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Despite being 93 and in failing health, he continues to work with young musicians like blind but gifted pianist, Justin Kauflin who battles debilitating stage fright as he prepares for the semi-finals of the prestigious Thelonius Monk Jazz Competition.

This is the first feature documentary from jazz drummer and Wollongong boy, Alan Hicks, and it’s a cracker. After winning a scholarship to study at William Paterson University in New Jersey, Hicks found himself playing and studying with Terry or CT as everyone seems to call him. It was out of that relationship that the doco grew and, while this isn’t a film about Hicks per se, it reflects the inspirational power of Terry’s unique teaching style as we watch Kauflin benefit from the same mentorship that introduced Hicks to the jazz great.

But this is not just a story about a mentor and his protégé. The doco moves backwards and forwards through Terry’s life simultaneously introducing us to the little boy who so wanted to play the trumpet that he built his own out of a lead pipe, a hose and a funnel, and to the old man battling a body that refuses to stay as active as his mind. We follow him through great archival clips of his work with the icons of jazz as he cements his place in the golden era of that art-form. At the same time we see his absolute dedication and commitment to passing the torch on to the next generation – and to the next and the next. The inevitable meeting between the film’s producer, Quincy Jones, and Kauflin is like some kind of strange family reunion with Terry as the wise old master, Jones as the anointed son and Kauflin as the heir apparent. His teaching style, which is based on a simple principle of imitation, assimilation and innovation, is practiced with a gentle but assured kind of encouragement backed up by some not-all-that-original aphorisms, such as the film’s title, which seem somehow less hokey when spoken by him. He’s the antithesis of Terence Fletcher in Whiplash.

At the same time we learn of Kauflin’s childhood and the progressive deterioration of his sight that has left him totally blind, whilst watching him, with the assistance of Candy, his guide dog, navigate his way around New York and try to deal with the high level of performance anxiety that threatens his capacity to succeed. The comfort of his hearing his idol speak about his own stage fright and its importance to the way a musician approaches his performance is palpable.

The drama and emotion of each of these stories is compelling and beautifully augmented by the presence of Gwen Terry, the old man’s wife, and Phylis Kauflin, the young man’s mother, both of whom provide depth and insight to each of these narratives. Plus, there’s great music from the myriad bands that Terry played with as well as from his own career (Google Clark Terry ‘Mumbles’ – it’s a gem of a track) all underscored by a lyrical soundtrack by Kauflin himself with additional tunes from Dave Grusin.

But what lifts this doco above the many strengths of both the individual stories and of the relationship between teacher and student is the overwhelming sense of responsibility that truly great artists like Terry have to ensure that their skills and knowledge is shared and instilled in future generations. We see it in the way Quincy Jones responds to his old mentor and this new protégé. We see it in the way Kauflin is welcomed into the fold of these jazz giants. And we see it in the care, respect and love with which this remarkable film is made.

 

 

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