Chip off the old block

"Go ahead. Make my day!"

That’s Clint Eastwood speaking, all right. But he’s not flashing his menacing squint, nor is he wielding his trusty .44 Magnum – the same way he did as the epitome of Hollywood cool in his 1983 classic, Sudden Impact.

This time, away from the glare of the klieg lights, Eastwood catches himself mumbling the same familiar catchphrase as he braces himself to be blown away not by some drug-crazed, gun-toting fiend but by the chugging, propulsive rhythms of an upcoming jazz quartet featuring his son Kyle.

This is the music they both grew up with tight, seamless and incisive the kind of swing that they would want to have any which way but loose.

Onstage, the lean, dapper Kyle Eastwood, a spitting image of his famous dad, deftly plucks a steady ostinato bass riff that signals his bandmates’ ensuing improvisational dialogue. Taking his place in the audience, the elder Eastwood doesn’t start a cheering frenzy. By merely tapping his foot in sync, he’s giving more than a fitting nod of approval from a discriminating jazz fan and a less obvious seal of intimacy between father and son.

For many years now, Kyle Eastwood has been making his dad’s days from the time he first slung his twangy guitar in Honky Tonk Man to the time he debuted as a full-time session and concert bassist in the late ’80s.

Underneath his tough-guy exterior, Clint has a softer side an attribute not too eagerly lapped-up by gossip-hungry paparazzi, but zealously imbibed by his heir apparent (musically, that is).

Yes, Dirty Harry is a jazz fan.

If you thought the poker faced Hollywood gun-slinger spends his spare time perfecting his fisticuffs, pumping iron or blowing off his adversaries to kingdom come – think again.

In between film projects, Eastwood would rather spin his jazz LPs, dissect a Coltrane solo, or head off to the nearest jazz fest, with son in tow.

Snippets of his musical indulgence can be gleaned from some of his classic films.

For instance, in the 1993 release, In The Line of Fire, Eastwood was cast as a jazz-loving, piano-playing Secret Service agent. In one scene, the pensive Frank Horrigan comes home, empties his police gear atop a stack of music sheets and a Miles Davis CD, Kind of Blue the same one he put on earlier and listen to as he gets a call from villain John Malkovich.

Eastwood was also responsible for the making of Bird, the 1988 flick on legendary jazz sax player Charlie Parker, which starred Forest Whitaker in the lead role.

During the same year, Eastwood also produced Thelonius Monk: Straight No Chaser, another documentary epic which featured raw footage of the pioneering bebop jazz pianist, as shot by Michael Christian Blackwood.

But wait. Clint not only swings, he sings as well!

Did you know that in 1961, he came out with a single called Unknown Girl, followed by an LP titled Rawhide’s Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboy Favourites, from the ’60s TV series?

And although not critically acclaimed, his singing abilities also figured prominently in the musical Paint Your Wagon, and had a hit with Burning Bridges, the soundtrack to Kelly’s Heroes. He also sang the Johnny Mercer classic, Accentuate the Positive, in the soundtrack of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

Clint also wrote the theme songs of Unforgiven, A Perfect World, The Bridges of Madison County, and Absolute Power.

With such musical talent in his genes, it wasn’t surprising that the jazz influence would eventually rub off on one of his kids.

Kyle Eastwood was the product of Clint’s uneventful marriage to former swimsuit model Maggie Johnson, which ended in divorce in 1980.

Remember the scene in Bridges of Madison County, where Eastwood and Meryl Streep went off on a rendezvous and headed off to the county fair where a jazz band was playing? If you don’t, you’ve missed one of Kyle’s rare movie appearances, reprising his real-life role as upright bassist and band leader.

This wasn’t his only cameo appearance, though. Kyle, as a lanky five-year-old, made his Hollywood debut toying with the guitar in Honky Tonk Man, another tailor made role for his music-loving dad.

Recently, Kyle launched his debut album, From There To Here, under the Columbia Jazz label. The much-awaited outing featured; Kyle’s own quartet, comprised of saxman Doug Webb, drummer Kendall Kay and pianist Matt Mc—Guire; and legendary jazz vocalists Joni Mitchell, Diana King and Julia Fordham.

"Do you feel lucky, punk?," Clint mimics his Dirty Harry line again, reminiscing how it wasn’t too long ago when he played boogie-woogie piano while the young Kyle would be bouncing on his lap.

Yes indeed, Kyle Eastwood is one lucky punk unwittingly plucked from the snatches of an imminent showbiz career, but a refreshing addition to the dwindling jazz playing populace.

And that’s enough to make Clint’s day – anytime.