Son of Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood, Kyle Eastwood has become an artist in his own right. The son of two music-loving parents, Kyle Eastwood is a celebrated jazz musician.
Having produced four critically-acclaimed albums, toured worldwide to sell out crowds and composed several movie soundtracks, this virtuoso bassist and composer’s music resonates with swing, groove and funk overtones. Eastwood has contributed music to a number of his father’s films including Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby and Gran Torino.
Kyle Eastwood will perform with his band in Dublin tonight as part of the John Ford Ireland Film Symposium. He will also take part in a panel with musicians and film composers to discuss the use of music in the films of John Ford, Clint Eastwood as well as his own contributions.
Dynamic and pulsing, Kyle Eastwood and his band are at the forefront of the contemporary jazz scene and not to be missed.
And the festival program includes a 20th anniversary screening of his director dad’s own seminal western Unforgiven.
“It was around that time that I started doing recording sessions for film scores,” recalls Kyle, whose mother is Eastwood’s ex-wife Maggie Johnson. “I played in the orchestra [on Unforgiven] and remember visiting my dad on the set in Canada — it doesn’t seem like 20 years ago.”
In fact, it’s now three decades since the father and son first appeared together on the big screen in Honkytonk Man.
Since then, they’ve worked together behind the scenes on eight movies including Mystic River and Gran Torino with Oscar-winner Clint at the helm and his son helping to give his film scores their distinctive blues bassline.
When asked if his father would be in attendance for the Film Symposium Kyle said “Unfortunately, my dad couldn’t make it to Ireland this weekend,” he adds. “He’s just turned 82 and finished making a new film.
“I’m sure he’d love to come to over sometime — he loves a good pint.”
