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Big Sloppy Kiss for Grateful Dawg 9/16/01 Jerry Garcia started out as an acoustic, bluegrass-loving musician. Then, he was introduced to a group of young men who would help him become a rock star: an icon of the American rock and roll scene of the late '60s and early '70s. With the Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia became the reluctant father figure for the droves of Deadheads from coast to coast. But another acoustic, bluegrass-loving musician from New York would come along to tether Mr. Garcia to folk music, and ultimately return him, musically, to the status of a guy with an acoustic guitar. His name is David "Dawg" Grisman, a mandolin player. Mr. Grisman's daughter, Gillian Grisman, in her documentary Grateful Dawg, colorfully and lovingly tells the story of the relationship and musical collaboration between Jerry Garcia and her father. The story begins in the early 1960s with both musicians' early, separate histories in bluegrass and folk music. With rarely seen footage of live concerts and intimate studio sessions, the documentary follows along the path of their first meeting at a bluegrass festival in Pennsylvania to their eventual companionship in musical adventures like Old and in the Way and the Garcia/Grisman Band. Grateful Dawg is appealing for many reasons. For example, it's the story of two men united by a love of folk, country and bluegrass music and the joy of playing that music. This evokes an emotional investment on the part of the viewer and draws him or her into the story a bit more intimately. In this regard, the audience can get to know both men, but especially Mr. Garcia, outside of their superstar, iconographic status. It provides a glimpse of what it might be like to know Jerry and David personally, the way most Deadheads and Dawgheads have dreamed about for years. Most important, though, the film is appealing because of the music itself. The narrative of the documentary is pleasantly interrupted by full-length performances of songs either on stage at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, or in Mr. Grisman's home studio. There are rare scenes of their first performance together, after a thirteen-year absence from each other's lives, in a small joint in New York City. To see these two perform and watch the dexterity and musicality of these incredibly talented musicians unfold before your eyes on the big screen is as close as people are going to get these days to a live performance by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman (Grisman still tours the country with his own bluegrass outfit). It is truly enthralling, at least from a guitar player's point of view, to see the fingers of both men working their instruments to produce the complex music, which their fans are accustomed to. Other appealing aspects of the film lie in the interviews with David Grisman and other members of the Garcia/Grisman Band and their early 1970s bluegrass band named Old and in the Way. They not only offer their words of admiration, but they also help to chronicle the collaborative process that they enjoyed over the years. Truly, they were a group of guys who simply loved to explore and play American music. Through their processes of creating music, they were able to perform and record many traditional American folk songs like "Shady Grove" and "House of the Rising Sun" as well as more contemporary rock, country, and jazz songs like The Grateful Dead's "Friend of the Devil" and Mile Davis' "So What". The film clearly documents the teamwork and mutual respect that goes into the music as it tells the story of the song "Arabia", an entrancing acoustic composition that comes together through a fully collaborative effort and is presented as a live stage performance amidst interview and studio footage clips. Grateful Dawg is a well-crafted and enjoyable documentary that can be appreciated by everyone including people who do not count themselves among the legions of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman fans. Gillian Grisman's love and appreciation of both men is palpable throughout the film, but most touchingly near the end when Jerry Garcia's death becomes the focus. His departure is handled honestly and openly, but not so emotionally heavy as to leave the audience sobbing. Indeed, the film is as light-hearted and energetic as Dawg and Jerry's music. NOTES TO THE MASSES: I saw this film as part of the 17th Annual Boston Film Festival. Originally, I had tickets for the festival's premiere of Grateful Dawg, which included the presence of the film's director, Gillian Grisman. The premiere was scheduled for 7:45 pm on September 11, 2001, but alas... I was able to catch a later screening the following weekend. In light of the events of September 11, I have been immersing myself in the solace and comfort of all sorts of American music, especially, the music of the Grateful Dead. The song, "U.S. Blues" has been heard loudly and often on my floor of the apartment building I occupy in Cambridge, Massachusetts: "I'm Uncle Sam, that's who I am! / Been hiding out in a rock and roll band! / Give me five, I'm still alive! / Ain't no luck, I learned to duck! / Wave that flag, wave it wide and high! / Summertime done, come and gone, my, oh my!" Sony Pictures Classics will release Grateful Dawg soon nationwide. Watch for local listings, though I'm sure it won't be playing at any major cineplexes that are showing movies like Ghosts of Mars. 9/01 |
