By: Staff
It has been 15 years since bassist Kyle Eastwood burst onto the jazz scene with his 1998 debut, From There To Here. At that moment in his budding career, the press seemed more preoccupied with his paternal lineage (he’s the son of famed actor-director Clint Eastwood) than his music.
Over the course of the four subsequent releases – 2004’s Paris Blue, 2005’s Now, 2009’s Metropolitan and 2011’s Songs from the Chateau – Eastwood built up an impressive body of work while earning respect in musician circles.
With his sixth release as a leader, The View From Here on the JazzVillage label, he demonstrates a strong command of both electric and upright basses while expanding into more adventurous territory that is informed as much by jazz as it is by world music.
“I’ve always loved music from other countries,” says the Carmel, California native who has resided in Paris for the past eight years. “Living in France, you hear a lot of North African and Middle Eastern music, and you can hear some of those influences on this new recording.”
Accompanied by a London-based crew of stellar young musicians worthy of wide recognition — pianist Andrew McCormack, tenor saxophonist Graeme Blevins, trumpeter Quentin Collins and drummer Martyn Kaine — Eastwood and company blend infectious grooves and outstanding improvisations throughout eleven diverse tracks on The View From Here.
“They’re all really talented players,” says Eastwood, “and we’ve been playing together for a while now, developing a real band chemistry. We ended up writing a lot of these new tunes together either at rehearsals or out on the road during last year’s tour around Europe. Sometimes I would come up with a couple of ideas or Andrew might bring something in, then everybody would just add on to it after that.”
That cooperative process would culminate in several co-written compositions on The View From Here. The album kicks off with the percolating, polyrhythmic “From Rio to Havana,” which shifts nimbly back and forth from clave-fueled groove to subtle samba rhythms. Blevins and Collins forge a tight frontline, each also contributing bold, swaggering solos to the proceedings, while Eastwood bubbles underneath on electric bass. McCormack’s catchy son montuno piano riffing at the tag brings this bristling opener to a Latin jazz conclusion.
The mellow “For M.E.,” written for Eastwood’s mother, Maggie Eastwood, is a loping, melodic number that features the bassist stretching out on an expressive electric and cleanly executed solo midway through. Collins, who demonstrates some of the high note bravado of a Lee Morgan or Freddie Hubbard throughout the recording, turns in another potent solo on this moody number.
In addition to his six solo albums, Eastwood has also contributed music to eight of his father’s films: The Rookie (1990), Mystic River (2002), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), Changeling (2008), Gran Torino (2008) and Invictus (2009). And while he takes pride in those credits, his most personal, fully realized and rewarding project to date is his current quintet offering, The View From Here.
Stream Tracks from The View From Here
Upcoming Kyle Eastwood Performances:
March 17 / Catalina Jazz Club / Los Angeles, CA
March 18 / Kuumbwa Jazz Club / Santa Cruz, CA
March 19&20 / Jazz Alley / Seattle, WA
March 26-31 / Blue Note Jazz Club / New York, NY
April 4&5 / Jasper Art Center / Jasper , IN
April 6/ OSU Urban Arts Space / Columbus, OH
April 7 / The Blue Shop/ Burlington, IA
April 8 / Civic Center of Greater Des Moines / Des Moines, IA
April 9 / CSPS Hall / Cedar Rapids, IA
April 10-13 / Dirty Dog Cafe / Detroit, MI
The View From Here Personnel & Track Listing:
1. From Rio To Havana (Kyle Eastwood, Graeme Blevins, Quentin Collins,
Graeme Flowers, Martyn Kaine, Andrew McCormack) – 6:02
2. For M.E. (Kyle Eastwood, Graeme Flowers, Andrew McCormack) – 4:43
3. The View From Here (Kyle Eastwood, Graeme Blevins,
Graeme Flowers, Martyn Kaine, Andrew McCormack) – 7:16
4. Sirocco (Kyle Eastwood, Graeme Blevins, Graeme Flowers,
Martyn Kaine, Andrew McCormack) – 6:41
5. Luxor (Kyle Eastwood, Andrew McCormack) – 8:29
6. Une nuit au Sénégal (Kyle Eastwood, Graeme Blevins, Graeme Flowers,
Martyn Kaine, Andrew McCormack) – 6:01
7. The Way Home (Kyle Eastwood, Graeme Blevins, Quentin Collins,
Martyn Kaine, Andrew McCormack) – 6:03
8. The Promise (Kyle Eastwood, Andrew McCormack) – 5:23
9. Mistral (Graeme Flowers) – 4:53
10. Summer Gone (Kyle Eastwood, Martyn Kaine, Andrew McCormack)– 4:48
11. Route de la Buissonne (Kyle Eastwood, Graeme Flowers, Andrew McCormack) – 5:20
For more information on Kyle Eastwood, please visit: KyleEastwood.com
