Bruce Ricker facts for kids

Bruce Ricker (born October 10, 1942 – died May 13, 2011) was a talented filmmaker. He made many documentaries about jazz and blues music. He is especially known for working with actor and director Clint Eastwood. Together, they created films about famous jazz and blues musicians.

Bruce Ricker's Life and Films

Early Life and Education

Bruce Ricker was born in 1942 on Staten Island, New York. He went to the City College of New York. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in American Studies. Later, he studied law and got a law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1970.

Making Movies About Music

Bruce Ricker's first film was a documentary called The Last of the Blue Devils. It came out in 1979. This movie was highly praised. It showed the exciting jazz music scene in Kansas City during the 1930s and 1940s.

Working with Clint Eastwood

Bruce Ricker often worked with the famous actor and director Clint Eastwood. Clint Eastwood was a big fan of jazz and blues music.

• Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser: Clint Eastwood was an executive producer for Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser. This documentary came out in 1988. Bruce Ricker produced this film about the legendary jazz pianist Thelonious Monk.
• The Blues Series: Bruce Ricker also thought of the idea for the "Piano Blues" part. This was a segment in a big seven-part TV series called The Blues. The famous director Martin Scorsese was an executive producer for this series in 2003.
• Other Documentaries: Clint Eastwood also helped Bruce Ricker make several other documentaries for television. These films were about many different artists. They included:
  • Budd Boetticher: A Man Can Do That (2005)
  • Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends (2007)
  • Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me (2009)
  • Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way (2010)

Bruce Ricker also directed and produced some TV documentaries himself. He made Eastwood After Hours: Live at Carnegie Hall in 1997. He also directed Clint Eastwood: Out of the Shadows. This documentary was shown on the PBS series American Masters in 2000.

Later Life

Bruce Ricker passed away in 2011. He was 68 years old. He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts. His films helped many people learn about the history of jazz and blues music.