Nashville Music Blog

Here's yet another doc I had the pleasure of screening. Trying to Get Good chronicles the odyssey of jazz cat Jack Sheldon, who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest trumpet players in the world. Via me:

Even if the name of legendary jazz trumpeter Jack Sheldon doesn't ring a bell, you'd likely either recognize him as the dirty-minded bandleader from The Merv Griffin Show or, better still, as the voice of Schoolhouse Rock! Yes, he's Bill, the bill. Trying to Get Good handles the poignant duty of narrating Sheldon's life without being heavy-handed: It's a life so peppered with tragedy that most artists would have given up the pursuit of their instrument, whereas Sheldon continues lessons to this day. With interviews from Clint Eastwood, Billy Crystal, James Baker, Dom DeLuise and more, filmmakers Penny Peyser and Doug McIntyre paint a heartrending portrait of the painfully humble (often self-effacing) old jazz cat that showcases both his truly remarkable talent and his childlike zest for his music and his life.

Trying to Get Good shows Sunday, April 19 at 2:30 p.m. in Green Hills Theater 14 (tickets) and again Monday, April 20 at 8:30 p.m. in Green Hills Theater 5 (tickets). Full festival schedule's here. And just for the hell of it, check out some of Sheldon's finest work after the jump.