That Cat Plays a Mean Trumpet

There are no animals in the fascinating documentary "Trying To Get Good: the Jazz Odyssey of Jack Sheldon." Unless, of course, you want to count the parrot that is inexplicably sitting on Dom DeLuise's hand everytime he is interviewed on camera. But, what you do get is a riveting look into the life of a renowned jazz musician, who I admittedly and mistakenly had thought was nothing more than a buffoon from his clownish appearances on the old Merv Griffin gabfest.

One of the most underrated benefits of a good documentary film is its ability to teach you something that you previously did not know. I like jazz music to a degree, especially some of those smooth jazz radio stations (gone now in New York, regrettably). But, I would not consider myself a huge fan. I know some of the big names associated, and I even have some favorites like Dave Koz and Bobby Caldwell. At the same time, I could hear a trumpet on the radio and not know who the hell was blowing into it.

So, I was probably an unlikely patron for this documentary. But, I had been hearing about it for some time because I'm a fan of KABC morning talk show host, Doug McIntyre, and he wrote, produced, and directed this with his wife, Penny Peyser. And I remember her from the old Tony Randall Show as well as one season on Knots Landing. Plus she's also from Westchester, NY, and I'm a sucker for that. They had it playing at the Westwood Crest Theater, which is always a nifty night in the dark. In I went.

And I am glad I did.

I had no clue about anything I learned about Jack Sheldon. I knew he did a sitcom called "Run Buddy Run" and then a gig in Merv Griffin's TV orchestra. But, beyond that, I was lost. And now amazed. This film is wall-to-wall his music and it is phenomenal. There was one jazz musician in the audience and he told Penny Peyser afterward (one or both of the filmmakers show up every night for Q&A) that it was the best jazz documentary he had ever seen. While all I can do is bang a pen on a desk, I would have to concur.

First off, Jack Sheldon is an amazing trumpeter. But, he also now sings in this smoky way that probably resulted from many long evenings of bad night club air conditioning and second hand cigarettes. His background, however, is anything but normal. He literally grew up underwater as his apparently famous mom ran a legendary swim class for toddlers on Hollywood Boulevard and he also taught there. She was later killed, literally being hit by a truck on the sidewalk. While bouncing from jazz club to nitery, Sheldon just kept on playing, because, in his mind, he is always still "trying to get good." In the meantime, there was the almost requisite bouts with booze, cocaine, and pot, which he KOed. His wife gave him several children and then ultimately left him. So did two of the kids in tragic ways. Sheldon endured one curveball after another as if he was destined to spend his life hitting against Sandy Koufax.

Throughout it all, you see his act. You hear him play. And you are astonished just how good he is. There are a variety of famed jazz hepcats interviewed and they all proclaim Jack as the best. But, a weird guy nonetheless. Penny Peyser told us that, in the process of filming this for five years, he would drop out of sight for months at a time. When his one son died as a result of substance abuse, the filmmakers did not know because Sheldon didn't bother to mention it until three months later.

Yet, at the end of the film, there is Jack singing and playing "It Had to Be You" and the theater was enveloped with pure silk. There are countless reasons why you should sample this movie. Indeed, it is the last time Merv Griffin was shot on camera. But, there are so many other learning moments. That Jack Sheldon was the creative voice and songwriter behind the Saturday morning cartoon "Schoolhouse Rock." Or that it is his trumpet you hear playing the Oscar winning "Shadow of Your Smile" on the soundtrack for the movie, "The Sandpiper." Or that there are so many famous Jack Sheldon one liners that can't be printed in public forums.

That's what a good documentary is supposed to do. Teach. Share knowledge. Increase appreciation. "Trying to Get Good" does all that in 90 minutes. And now I want to see the guy perform in person. I poked through his website and he just finished a gig at a hotel near LAX. Talk about an understated venue.

The filmmakers are shooting for a one week New York City booking, which would be required for them to qualify for the Academy Awards. Here's hoping they get it.

Here's hoping you see it. If my word isn't good enough, the trailer comes up next.

Dinner last night: Dried cappacollo on sourdough.