Kyle Eastwood took the stage leading the Eastwood Symphonic Project, a performance honoring his father, Clint Eastwood.
The performance showcased the movie themes from his father’s famous films.
“It’s an homage to him and his career,” said Kyle Eastwood.
The performance was a special moment between father and son, who used to come to the Monterey Jazz Festival together when Kyle Eastwood was growing up.
“I could see him,” said Kyle Eastwood. “He’s been sitting in those seats for many, many years, so I knew where to look.”
Clint Eastwood’s love for jazz has played a major role in inspiring Kyle Eastwood’s work as an American jazz musician and composer.
“Both my mom and dad are big fans of jazz — that was sort of the music they were always listening to,” said Kyle Eastwood. “There was always a lot of music in the house growing up for me … movies and music.”
The performance featured Kyle Eastwood’s quintet and the Monterey Symphony Orchestra and combined jazz with classical elements to give it a cinematic feel.
“It’s the intersection of Clint Eastwood, who represents so much of our mythology and our storytelling. He’s sort of been an arbiter and architect of our storytelling American culture,” said Darin Atwater, artistic director of the Monterey Jazz Festival. “And, to sort of intersect that with his son, Kyle, who’s a musician and has his own jazz quintet.”
With Clint Eastwood in the audience watching his son with a smile, it was quite a memorable moment.
“I saw him out there … he looked happy. He looked like he’s having a good time,” said Kyle Eastwood.
The audience also witnessed a historic moment for the Monterey Jazz Festival when Hollywood icon Morgan Freeman presented Clint Eastwood with the inaugural Cultural Leadership Award.
“To have these two titans come together with Morgan Freeman … makes this moment monumental,” said Atwater.
After his performance, Kyle Eastwood said he would like to come back to perform at the Monterey Jazz Festival again.