Eastwood to join Cullum on BBC Radio 2

A rare interview with Hollywood legend and renowned jazz fan Clint Eastwood will air next month on Jamie Cullum's BBC Radio 2 show.

Recorded at Eastwood's studio in Los Angeles, the special interview will be aired in two parts on September 7 and 14, with the filmmaker discussing his love for jazz and playing some of his favourite songs.

Award-winning actor and director Eastwood was a fan of jazz music even before his first appearance in a Hollywood movie over 50 years ago.

He has drawn on his love for jazz in the soundtracks of many of his films, including working with Cullum on the music for 2009 thriller Gran Torino.

"Interviewing Clint Eastwood for my Radio 2 show was a true honour. He was overflowing with stories, good humour and enthusiasm for the chance to discuss his favourite topic - music," said Cullum.

"He has spent a lifetime immersed in jazz and not only picked some great music to listen to but had superb stories to weave around them."

In the two-part interview, Eastwood will discuss his fear that some jazz music takes itself too seriously and has "lost its sense of humour".

"You had people like Dizzy (Gillespie) who were great, Louis Jordan who were great comedians as well and they bring a lot of fun to it," he will say.

"Then later on when you get past the '50s everybody started getting very serious and buttoned down collars, buttoned down suits and they started getting very intellectual about it and I think that's when it lost a lot of its spirit."

Eastwood will also reveal that he became a fan of Cullum after seeing his performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival in the US.

"You [Cullum] jumped off the piano [and] I thought, 'Hey, this guy's going somewhere!'" the movie legend will say.

"I did feel that you were bringing an entertainment value to jazz, or swing or blues or whatever you were playing... that had long been missing. I became a fan on that evening."

He added: "It's a rare opportunity for me to be on the Jamie Cullum show, it's always fun to talk about music."

Eastwood will also discuss his friendship with Dizzy Gillespie and involvement with a TV documentary about jazz star Dave Brubeck, who turns 90 this year.