Keep on Keeping on

Keep on Keeping On is a striking and highly emotionally evocative documentary film that uses jazz as a conduit for exploring aging, talent, and the power of mentorship. Released in 2014, the film stars living legends Bill Cosby and Clark Terry, probing deeply into the life and legacy of Terry, a revered jazz icon, through his inspirational mentorship of a blind, aspiring pianist.

The film crafts a loving portrait of Clark Terry's life and times. Born in 1920, Terry broke racial barriers as one of the first African-American musicians to play in both the NBC Orchestra and Johnny Carson's Tonight Show band. Having a professional career spanning over 70 years, he played alongside the likes of Count Basie and Duke Ellington and is credited with over 900 recordings. Terry is not just a fixture of jazz history; he is a living testament to its evolving narrative.

One of the poignant narrative frames of Keep on Keeping On is Terry's impacting mentorship of countless young musicians, including music luminary Quincy Jones and multi-Grammy-winning artist Miles Davis. Throughout his life, Terry streamlined a generation of jazz artists, having a significant impact on the careers of these musicians. This film focuses on his mentorship of worthy successors to his craft like Justin Kauflin, a 23-year-old blind piano player.

Kauflin, a supremely gifted individual with a deep love for jazz, forms a bond with Terry, leading to an inspiring and life-changing relationship. As Terry approaches the end of his life, they both enter a journey navigating the reality of growing old, grappling with health issues, and what it means to face one's mortality. This emotional narrative complements the overall message of the movie - the power of resilience and the significance of passing the torch from one generation to another.

Bill Cosby, a long-time friend and admirer of Terry, features significantly in the film. His respect and love for Terry are apparent, and his presence provides a loving tribute to Terry's impressive career, invaluable contribution to music, and legacy as a role model and mentor.

Directed by Al Hicks, Keep on Keeping On beautifully visualizes the bond between Terry and Kauflin, with Hicks employing a deft directorial touch that aptly captures their connection. The film gently cruises through different temporal layers of Terry’s life, using evocative archive footage of his past and intimate contemporary sequences depicting his mentorship of Kauflin. The juxtaposition of these layers produces a film as rhythmically intriguing as the jazz it celebrates.

A document on the alchemy of mentorship, the film plunges you into a world where artistry and humanity intertwine amidst a beautiful montage of images and music. It underscores the importance of perseverance, resilience, and mentorship, themes which resonate beyond the realm of music.

The film importantly chronicles black artistry in jazz, starting from Terry's journey that strived on challenging racial barriers. This reveals an intrinsic connection between cultural expression, racial history, and how this all fosters into a powerful legacy worth preserving.

The soundtrack is a critical aspect of the film, offering a rich tapestry of jazz standards and original compositions. It understands that jazz music is not merely a background score, but an emotive pulse that lives and breathes within each frame. The music doesn't just support the story; it tells a tale of its own, echoing the films' essence of love, kinship, dreams, and resilience.

Keep on Keeping On is a tender yet stirring documentary that invites viewers into an organic conversation involving humanity and music. It uses jazz to tell an age-old story, one of an elder passing on his knowledge, experience, and wisdom to a younger generation, highlighting how age and physical decline are no barriers to the human spirit and the pursuit of one's passion. Perfectly paced and skillfully produced, this film resonates on an intensely personal level, combining artistry and emotion to take the viewer on a compelling, transformative journey.