Jazz Was His Earliest Muse

A conversation with Clint Eastwood about his first love.

Clint Eastwood with Ray Charles, Jan. 19, 2004 (BAC Films)

FROM THE ARCHIVES
The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 22, 2011

By Michael Judge

Carmel, Calif. — I'm here to talk to one of America's premier filmmakers about his career in the industry, but his eyes light up when I ask him about his first love — jazz. "It's always fun to talk about jazz," says Clint Eastwood, seated at a small table not far from the baby grand piano that fills his Mission Ranch Restaurant with jazz each night. We're looking out at a picturesque meadow and a flock of grazing sheep he jokingly calls his "girlfriends."

At 80, Mr. Eastwood is busier than most men half his age. A self-taught pianist and composer, the actor and Oscar-winning director has (with longtime collaborator Lennie Niehaus and, more recently, his son, Kyle Eastwood) scored and written songs for many of his films, including "Unforgiven," "Mystic River," Million Dollar Baby," "Gran Torino" and "Hereafter."

"I became kind of a jazz freak. I read every book…