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Shot over the course of five years by first time filmmaker Al Hicks, KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON depicts the remarkable story of 93-year-old jazz legend Clark Terry. A living monument to the Golden Era of Jazz, Terry – a mentor to Miles Davis – is among the few performers ever to have played in both Count Basie’s and Duke Ellington’s bands. In the 1960's, he broke the color barrier as the first African-American staff musician at NBC - on “The Tonight Show”.
Today, after a life spent working with and teaching the most totemic figures in jazz history, Terry continues to attract and cultivate budding talents. KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON highlights his friendship with the preternaturally gifted Justin Kauflin, a blind, 23-year-old piano prodigy who suffers from debilitating stage fright. Not long after Kauflin is invited to compete in an elite Jazz competition, Terry’s health takes a turn for the worse. As the clock ticks, we see two friends confront the toughest challenges of their lives.
Kauflin’s work on the film’s score with composer Dave Grusin sets the tone for a story that spans decades, lifetimes and the entire history of modern Jazz, complete with firsthand anecdotes from Jones and Herbie Hancock. KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON is a film crafted with great affection by Hicks – another former student of Terry’s – a grace note for his teacher, infused with soulfulness and serendipity.
Original Release
08/08/2014
US Release
08/08/2014
Links
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Candy | Self |
Terri Lyne Carrington | Self |
Quincy Cavers | Self |
Bill Cosby | Self |
Herbie Hancock | Self |
Frank Kauflin | Self |
Justin Kauflin | Himself / Self |
Phylis Kauflin | Self |
Sandi McCree | Self |
Mulgrew Miller | Self |
Directors
Writers
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Candy | Self |
Terri Lyne Carrington | Self |
Quincy Cavers | Self |
Bill Cosby | Self |
Herbie Hancock | Self |
Frank Kauflin | Self |
Justin Kauflin | Himself / Self |
Phylis Kauflin | Self |
Sandi McCree | Self |
Mulgrew Miller | Self |
Kevin Neaton | Clark Terry Small Group |
Harold O'Neal | Self |
Dianne Reeves | Self |
Arturo Sandoval | Self |
Clark Terry | Himself / Self |
Gwen Terry | Self |
Quincy Jones | Self |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Alan Hicks | Executive Producer |
Adam Fell | Executive Producer |
Tom Gorai | Executive Producer |
Adam Hart | Executive Producer |
Jill Mazursky | Executive Producer |
David Skinner | Executive Producer |
Quincy Jones | Producer |
Rory Marx Anderson | Producer |
John Caulkins | Producer |
Davis Coombe | Producer |
Paula DuPré Pesmen | Producer |
Susan Johnson | Producer |
Karl Kister | Producer |
Curtis Pesmen | Producer |