Berklee makes Eastwood’s day at MJF

By Jessica Bailiff

This year not only marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival, but it also marked an important event for a longtime member of the festival board. Serving as an active board member since 1992, Clint Eastwood was awarded an honorary doctorate of music by the Berklee College of Music.

Although known for his exquisite acting and directing skills, Eastwood, also a pianist, has been involved in the jazz music scene for years. He has worked to bring jazz to the forefront of contemporary films by inserting jazz tunes and some of his own compositions into the soundtracks of his movies.

Roger Brown, president of Berklee College of Music, along with Diana Krall, who would perform later that night, presented Eastwood with the award on the Jimmy Lyons Stage. Other artists who have received the honorary doctorate of music from Berklee include Duke Ellington, Ornette Coleman, Marian McPartland, and Sonny Rollins. Eastwood graciously accepted the award stating, “It’s one of the great honors I’ll cherish in this lifetime.”