Ailing jazz icon Clark Terry keeps faith in 'Keep On'

Trumpeter Clark Terry, a jazz giant and one of history's most prolific recording artists, found a second act in life as a mentor to young musicians.

"That became my supreme joy and greatest aspiration," he says in Keep On Keepin' On, a moving new documentary that examines Terry's extraordinary career as well as his passion for guiding budding talents in theirs.

"There's so much truth in this film," says Quincy Jones, who co-produced the film and hosted a small screening in his Bel Air, Calif., home Wednesday night. Jones was 12 when he met his hero Terry, who soon left Duke Ellington's band to join Q's own. They've been close friends for decades.

The film is directed by Australian Alan Hicks, a drummer and former Terry student who traveled widely as part of the trumpeter's ensemble. As a result, he and director of photography Adam Hart were granted unprecedented access to the private world of Terry and his wife Gwen.

The film chronicles Terry's health decline as he enthusiastically schools protégé Justin Kauflin, a blind jazz pianist with mad chops and stage fright. Their touching, humorous exchanges are intercut with clips of performances from Terry's heyday, including his scat singing rap prototype Mumbles, and testimonials from Jones, Wynton Marsalis, Bill Cosby, Dianne Reeves and Herbie Hancock. Jazz god Miles Davis says, "Clark was my first idol."

After the screening, Kauflin, 28, with his guide dog Candy at his feet, performed Exodus and For Clark, two of the originals on an upcoming album produced by Jones.

The documentary opens Sept. 19 in Los Angeles, Oct. 3 in New York and later elsewhere. Check out the trailer here.