In a year that has seen several album debuts by famous musical offspring, from Rufus Wainwright to Sean Lennon to Chris Stills, it is interesting to hear the first full album from bassist Kyle Eastwood, the son of prominent filmmaker Clint Eastwood. While Eastwood the younger is surely looking forward to the day when he will not have to acknowledge his father as he discusses his music, growing up in the movie industry has had an obvious influence on the artist's style. Eastwood's jazz is very cinematic and he chooses tunes that evoke rich atmospheres, often embellishing them with orchestrations by Vince Mendoza. He also includes tunes originally written for films. A take on Tom Waits' "I Beg Your Pardon" (from the film One From The Heart) is followed by a terrific cover of Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man" (with vocals by Joni Mitchell). But Eastwood also displays a nice range, from the Brubeck-tinged "Stanley Hill Drive" to the R&B flavored "Why Can't We Be Together." The album closes with several good tunes by his pianist, Matt McGuire, but one high point is Eastwood's sole original composition, "Da Da Ba Ba Nu Nu." The tune is a lively bop workout with an intriguing rhythmic line. With such a promising start one can only hope for more good things to come.
