Jon Dee Graham: Swept Away

"Jon Dee Graham is a musical hero in his hometown of Austin, Texas, but he barely has a cult following in the rest of the country, and Mark Finkelpearl's documentary on Graham is a fan's portrait of a singular artist who struggles to develop a larger audience while staying true to his own vision and maintain a close relationship with his wife and two sons (one of whom has health issues) while living the nomadic life of a professional musician. Jon Dee Graham: Swept Away has been transferred to disc in letterboxed format, with the image presented in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio but not enhanced for anamorphic play. The documentary was shot on digital video gear, and the quality of the transfer is very good, capturing the details and color balance with realistic clarity. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo, and the fidelity is excellent, especially in the copious performance footage of Graham and his band on stage. The interviews and performances are in English, with no subtitles or multiple language options included. As a bonus, this edition includes a commentary track featuring Graham, Finkelpearl and bassist Andrew Duplantis and others, with Graham dominating the chat with his intelligent and self-depreciating wit. Other bonus materials include two bonus acoustic performances and a short video profile of Graham that features some of the material used in the main feature. Jon Dee Graham: Swept Away is an engaging and often moving portrait of a musician who richly deserves a wider audience, and it's well worth seeing for fans or people with an interest in the Texas singer-songwriter community."