HollywoodNews.com: With each passing decade, Dave Brubeck continues to amaze millions of fans across the globe. His quartet performed more than 50 concerts in 2010, and Brubeck still creates new composi¬tions. On Monday, Dec. 6, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will celebrate Brubeck’s 90th birthday with the premiere of “Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way,” a new documentary executive-produced by Clint Eastwood.

The documentary takes its name from one of Brubeck’s most famous tunes, “In Your Own Sweet Way.” Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way was produced and directed by filmmaker and longtime Eastwood collaborator Bruce Ricker, whose credits include “Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends,” “Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser,” “The Last of the Blue Devils” and TCM’s Emmy®-nominated “Johnny Mercer: The Dream’s On Me.” Alec Baldwin is the narrator. In addition to serving as executive producer of the film, Eastwood chairs the Honorary Board of the Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.

“Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way” tells Brubeck’s personal story, including his early musical training; studies with Darius Milhaud, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, featuring Paul Desmond; and the musical revolution caused by his introduction of new time signatures in jazz, such as in the jazz standard Take Five.

“Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way” features contemporary interviews, including George Lucas, Sting, Bill Cosby, Jamie Cullum, David Benoit and Yo-Yo Ma. Also included are previously unseen archival footage and photographs; vintage performances from the Newport Jazz Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival; and a never-before-seen interview with Dave Brubeck and Walter Cronkite. Finally, here are also interviews filmed for the documentary with Dave and Iola Brubeck, that captures their longtime romance and artistic collaboration,

TCM’s premiere of “Dave Brubeck: In His Own Sweet Way” will be accompanied by “All Night Long” (1962), a jazz update of Shakespeare’s Othello featuring a great Brubeck performance. The Brubeck celebration will be preceded by a quartet of jazz films: “Blues in the Night” (1941), “Paris Blues” (1961), “Young Man with a Horn” (1950) and “The Strip” (1950).

In advance of Brubeck’s birthday, Legacy Recordings will release “Dave Brubeck: Legacy of a Legend,” a new 21-track double-CD compilation with every track handpicked by Brubeck. The commemorative collection, featuring extensive annotation and anecdotal liner notes written by his son Darius, will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets beginning Nov. 16 through Columbia/Legacy, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.

Also in celebration of Brubeck’s 90th birthday, Concord Music Group will release The Definitive Dave Brubeck on Fantasy, Concord Jazz and Telarc. This ambitious two-disc collection assembles some of Brubeck’s earliest session work from the 1940s as well as some of his more recent recordings from the past few decades. The CD is also set for release Nov. 16, 2010. The collection’s comprehensive track list was handpicked by Russell Gloyd, Brubeck’s manager, producer and conductor for more than 30 years.

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

HollywoodNews.com: Dane Cook will be releasing “I Did My Best – Greatest Hits” through Comedy Central Records on November 22. Cook is currently on his American tour of “Dan Cook Live!.”

Arguably the biggest comic on the planet, Cook has put together a collection of his best and most popular material, spanning his five full-length albums which have collectively sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. and Canada alone. In addition to favorites like “No So Kool-Aid,” “B & E” and “The Atheist,” the album features ten minutes of previously unreleased material, all re-mastered and newly cut together – a must have for longtime fans and those who want an introduction to Cook at his best. The double-digipak contains two full-length CDs of two and a half hours of Cook’s best jokes.

Combining energetic physical comedy, clever wordplay and trenchant observations about human behavior, Dane Cook’s unique brand of stand-up comedy and accessible guy-next-door attitude have galvanized audiences of all ages. Named a “comedian phenom and icon” by Entertainment Weekly, Cook has maintained his reputation as one of today’s most prolific stand-up comedians while simultaneously distinguishing himself as a charismatic and versatile actor. In 2007, Cook starred in his first leading role as the likable slacker Zack in “Employee of the Month.” After inking a multi-faceted production deal with HBO, he created, directed and starred in the network’s nine-part comedy documentary series, “Tourgasm” and wrote, executive-produced and starred in “Vicious Circle.”

Cook began his career at age 18, honing his craft on the college and comedy club circuits and became one of the first comics to develop and maintain his own Web site to reach out to audiences. Among many awards and accolades, Cook was named Rolling Stone Magazine’s Hot Comic, Stuff Magazine’s Coolest Comic of the Year and was the winner of COMEDY CENTRAL’s “Stand-up Showdown.” His arrival on the cultural stage was confirmed when Time Magazine listed him as one of the world’s 100 Most Influential People. In the past few years, Cook has hosted “Saturday Night Live” twice (including the season premiere) helping the program earn the highest non-sports ratings of any network that year. Cook has entertained audiences in various films including “Good Luck Chuck” with Jessica Alba, “Mr. Brooks” with Kevin Costner, Demi Moore and William Hurt, “My Best Friends Girl” opposite Kate Hudson and Alec Baldwin, “Dan in Real Life” with Steve Carrell, “Waiting” with Ryan Reynolds and Anna Farris, “London” with Jessica Biel and “Mystery Men” with Ben Stiller.

Cook catapulted to media headlines when his comedy CD/DVD, “Retaliation,” bucked industry trends by debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200. The album, which has hit double platinum, marked him as the highest-charting comedian in 27 years, earning him a place along with best-selling comedy vets Bill Cosby, George Carlin and Steve Martin. Additionally, “Harmful If Swallowed” and “Rough Around the Edges” CDs have appeared on eight different Billboard charts. Last year, his last album, “ISolated INcident,” was the highest-rated special on COMEDY CENTRAL and became his second album to debut at number #4 on the Billboard charts, making him the only comedian in history to achieve that feat.

In November of last year, Cook also broke ground in the music industry with the release of his first rock single, “I’ll Never Be You,” and “Simon Said,” which he performed on this year’s finale of “American Idol.”

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News

The Hollywood A-lister has been taken to task on other movie gossip sites for failing to heavily promote “The American,” which opens this Wednesday. Yet I seem to recall a magazine interview Clooney did where he said he was done with the movie marketing game, as he felt it didn’t help his directorial effort, “Leatherheads,” and he kind of said all he needed to say in previous interviews.

So it was a pleasant surprise seeing him at the Emmys last night in various forms. His clever spot with the cast of “Modern Family” was dubbed the highlight of the night by many television critics in their post Emmy wrap up. And later in the evening, Clooney collected yet another statue for his mantle – this one for his humanitarian efforts.

“It’s important to remember how much good can get done because we live in such strange times where bad behavior sucks up all of the attention and the press,” Clooney said during his brief speech.

The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award was created in 2002 in memory of the late entertainer. Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cosby are just a few previous winners.

As for “The American,” I’m on my way to see it right now. Hopes are high. I’ll have more to report on Wednesday, when the movie opens.

Follow Hollywood News on Twitter for up-to-date news information.

Hollywood News, Hollywood Awards, Awards, Movies, News, Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News,

By Sean O’Connell

Hollywoodnews.com: George Clooney has become such a huge movie star, it’s easy to forget that he got his start on television. The actor cut his professional teeth on such shows as “The Facts of Life” and “Roseanne” before “E.R.” turned him into a household name. And now television’s prepared to honor Clooney for his career, and his off-screen accomplishments.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences have selected Clooney to receive this year’s Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. It will be presented to the actor during the Emmys, which will be televised on NBC on Aug. 29.

The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award goes to someone whose humanitarian work has brought credit to the industry and has had a lasting impact on society. Other recipients include Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, and Danny Thomas.

“George was an obvious choice for this honor,” said John Shaffner, the TV Academy’s Chairman and CEO, in a statement. “He has understood and harnessed the power of television, the most powerful medium of our time, to reach into the hearts of people around the world and compelled us to action on behalf of those in sudden and desperate need as well those tragically oppressed in Darfur.”

Clooney will next be seen on the big screen in the motion picture “The American,” which opens on Sept. 1. In the meantime, expect a humble and self-deprecating speech at the Emmys as Clooney accepts his award. We wouldn’t have him any other way.

Award News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News, Hollywood News

By Roger Friedman

HollywoodNews.com: There’s a scandal at the Hotel du Cap, the beloved, fabled, famed, hotel resort in Cap d’Antibes. Hotel du Cap is the favorite of movie stars for decades, and it’s the central meeting place for stars and movie execs during the Cannes Film Festival.

On Thursday, the former director of the Hotel, Jean Claude Irondell, is going before a judge in Grasse, in the South of France. He’s accused of massive embezzlement, with a number put at, at least, $1 million. Irondell was legendary at the Hotel, and its seaside adjunct hotel and restaurant/club, the Eden Roc. He ruled with an iron fist and kept the place in pristine, exclusive condition.

For years, though, until very recently, the Hotel du Cap and Eden Roc accepted only cash. No credit cards, no matter who you were. If you were going there, you had to wire money ahead. American celebrities like Bill Cosby and Johnny Carson always used to brag about this method of payment.

Now Irondell is being accused, according to reports in French newspapers like the Sunday Journal (story by Thierry Boinet), of skimming like crazy off the top. Reports say he’s accused of essentially keeping double books, charging the extremely well heeled guests more than the charges recorded at the hotel, and collecting fees under the table, so to speak, for things like access to the magnificent pool and even for ice deliveries to the cabanas.

Awards News, Breaking News, Entertainment News, Movie News, Music News, Hollywood News

To read more go to Showbiz411.com.

Cicely Tyson is the latest woman to join the list of honorees for the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon that takes place on Thursday, March 4 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Tyson will receive the Legend Award at the event and joins other honorees Queen Latifah, Zoe Saldana, Mary J. Blige, and Gabourey Sidibe.

Tyson has become one of America’s most respected performers making her way from model to actress and has appeared with actors George C. Scott, James Earl Jones, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bill Cosby, and Laurence Fishburne among others.

ESSENCE editor-in-chief Angela Burt-Murray said, “The ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon will pay homage to the outstanding work and contributions of Ms. Tyson. She is a Legend because she continues in her craft with passion and integrity – an accomplishment to which we all aspire.”