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Whenever Dirty Harry isn’t blasting the brains outta unlucky punks or snarling at empty smartass socialist chairs, he’s keeping it cool with a copy of “Ornithology.”
That’s right … Clint Eastwood is a jazz junkie. He has produced and directed Bird, a biopic about bebop pioneer and heroin casualty Charlie Parker. He’s written scores for a bunch of his own movies. And he’s even earned an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music.
But the Oscar-winning legend’s greatest musical achievement just might be making a baby, Kyle Eastwood, who grew up to become an acclaimed bassist, film composer, and the co-headliner of this month’s inaugural Miami Nice Jazz Festival at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts.
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Beyond Clint’s kid, though, the Miami Nice lineup’s got a ton more top-shelf jazziness, from beloved diva, NPR host, and United Nations ambassador Dee Dee Bridgewater to piano-playing Puerto Rican bandleader Eddie Palmieri, virtuosic French drummer André Ceccarelli, and Miami’s own Nicole Henry.
Miami Nice Jazz Festival Lineup
Friday, October 26
-Dee Dee Bridgewater
-Kyle Eastwood
-FIU Big Band featuring Sally Night
Saturday, October 27
-Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band
-André Ceccarelli featuring Alex Ligertwood
-South Florida Jazz Orchestra featuring Nicole Henry
Understandably, all this has probably got you Eastwood-level jazz junkies saying, “Whoa, Daddy-O. That is a nice fest.” But it’s actually pronounced Neese. Like the town in France. Because the Miami festival is a spinoff of the overseas original.
As Clint in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur might say: “Vas-y, voyou, chante la chanson.”
Miami Nice Jazz Festival. Friday, October 26, and Saturday, October 27. Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami. Tickets cost $30 to $99 plus fees via tickets.gusmancenter.org. Visit miaminicejazzfestival.com.
Miami Nice Festival Official Jam Sessions. Hosted by NBC6’s Roxanne Vargas. Friday, October 26, and Saturday, October 27. Avenue D Jazz & Blues Lounge, 8 S. Miami Ave., Miami. The party starts at 11 p.m. and admission is free with festival tickets or $10 at the door. Call 305-860-6960 or visit avenuedmiami.com.
French Riviera Culinary & Jazz Experience. Sunday, October 28. Biltmore Hotel & Resort, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables. The lawn party starts at 3 p.m. and dinner begins at 8. Call 305-445-8066 or visit biltmorehotel.com.
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