EASTWOOD BY EASTWOOD
Music composed by Clint Eastwood, Kyle Eastwood, Ennio Morricone, Lalo Schifrin & John Williams
Bass: Kyle Eastwood
Trumpet: Quentin Collins
Saxophone: Brandon Allen
Drums: Chris Higginbottom
Piano: Andrew McCormack
September 18, 2023
Blue Note
Tokyo, Japan
PART 1: CONCERT REPORT
(this report was originally written on Sept. 18, 2023 – just after the concert)
While going to film music concerts is always a pleasure, nothing beats going with good friends who share the same passion, feel the same groove, and respect the musicians like they are Gods.
And so my two friends and I set out to the Blue Note Tokyo today to see Kyle Eastwood, son of Clint Eastwood, perform film music from some of his father’s most famous films.
After the first piece from the film BIRD, we were treated to a fantastic performance of John Williams’ EIGER SANCTION. The classical piano parts sounded so good from where we were sitting near the front. The iconic flugelhorn parts (played by flugelhorn no less!) were just perfect.
The DIRTY HARRY SUITE, with music from the first film and MAGNUM FORCE, whipped me and my boys up into an absolute frenzy! Hearing those phat bass lines had us rocking in our seats, tapping the floor and begging to hear more. You just can’t go wrong with Lalo Schifrin – ever!
Next was a tender performance of Clint Eastwood’s “Claudia’s theme” from UNFORGIVEN. The piece had never really resonated with me until now, but I’m sure it’ll soon become a favorite.
It was now time for Morricone to take the spotlight and we heard a unique jazz arrangement of FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE. It was a fun piece that pushed Morricone’s iconic theme into multiple directions and iterations.
Next was GRAN TORINO, the piece I was most looking forward to. Such a gorgeous and bittersweet melody! It would have been even more perfect with a vocal accompaniment like in the film.
The encore for the night was THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. This was a nice way to end their set and the arrangement allowed the famous theme to shine.
Overall, it was a great night with great music and even greater friends!
PART 2: AN EASTWOOD COCKTAIL
When musicians do shows at the Tokyo Blue Note, they often have an original cocktail on the menu. For this show, the cocktail was a Gran Torino-themed drink, “Cool Blues”:
It was actually quite good 🙂
PART 3: CONCERT FLYER
Here are scans of the original concert flyer.
PART 4: OVER TO YOU
Did you also go to this concert? How did you like it?
And what did you think of my report? Feel free to comment below or reach out to me directly in the “Contact Me” section.
