Keep On Keepin' On

Overview

You may not know the name Clark Terry, but odds are you've heard of the people he inspired. Quincy Jones, for example? What about Miles Davis? With a career that spans a whopping seven decades, Terry is undoubtedly one of the most influential people to ever pick up a horn. But he was beloved in jazz circles not just for his mastery of the trumpet, but for his commitment to passing his love of music on to others.

Shot over four years by Australian director Alan Hicks, Keep On Keepin' On provides an overview of Terry's incredible career, while also chronicling his relationship with his most recent protégée, 23-year-old blind piano player Justin Kauflin. It's a charming story that offers a much needed breath of air after this year's other big jazz picture, Whiplash, about a student-teacher relationship of a very different kind.

Aided by the old jazz man's nostalgic narration, Hicks takes viewers back to 1920s St Louis, home to a vibrant jazz scene even then. Growing up dirt poor, Terry's first trumpet was paid for in loose change from his neighbours, an act of generosity that clearly left a mark. From there the young musician rose quickly, playing with the likes of Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Later he found a home for himself as the first black staff musician at NBC.

Regardless of your interest in jazz history, it's hard not to be impressed by Terry's resume. Yet it's the present day sequences, featuring Terry and Kauflin, that ensure the documentary leaves a mark. Indeed, despite their more than 65 year age difference, the two are just a couple of peas in a pod. To Kauflin, Terry is a friend, a mentor and a gateway to an era long since passed. To Terry, Kauflin is someone with whom he can share his years of experience, and find kinship as his own health begins to decline.

They're a hugely endearing duo, and their love of their craft is infectious. When presented with his honorary Grammy, Terry is credited with having "the happiest sound in jazz," but the truth is that it's a sentiment that reaches far beyond his music. It's remarkable, and inspiring, how upbeat the pair remain in the face of their respective adversity. You don't have to be a music fan to appreciate that.