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Trying to Get Good: The Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon
US, 89 minutes, English

Who is Jack Sheldon? You may remember him as Merv Griffin's trumpet-wielding sidekick, or the indelible voice on 'School House Rock' (“I’m just a bill. Yes I’m only a bill”), but musicians know him as a jazz giant. Unlike his close friend and collaborator, Chet Baker, Jack Sheldon survived the demons of drugs, alcohol and unspeakable personal tragedy. As friend Billy Crystal puts it, Jack Sheldon is the 'last cat standing' from the bebop generation. Trying to Get Good features on-camera interviews with Clint Eastwood, Billy Crystal, Merv Griffin, Chris Botti, and Johnny Mandel among others, along with historic footage with Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton and other legends. Trying to Get Good examines the eternally dissatisfied soul of a musical perfectionist and his quest to just 'figure things out'.

Director: Penny Peyser, Doug McIntyre
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Billy Crystal, Jack Sheldon, Merv Griffin, Chris Botti, Tierney Sutton, Johnny Mandel
Format: Video
Genre: Documentary, Music / Musicians