Elvis, other good gents featured in Jim Lauderdale doc

[Jeremy Dylan]

https://www.facebook.com/JimLauderdaleMovie/photos

As some of you may be aware, I've spent the past two years toiling away on a documentary about the hardest working man in Americana music - Jim Lauderdale.

The film follows a typical month in the life of the hardest working man in Americana music, as he songwrites in the moonlight of the California desert, plays Jimi Hendrix songs for thousands of bluegrass fans at Merlefest, DJs at WSM, hosts Music City Roots, cuts a record with the North Mississippi All Stars, tapes his new radio show with Buddy Miller, finishes off a record with Nick Lowe's band, cuts a brand new album with an all star group of players including James Burton, Kenny Vaughan, Dennis Crouch and Al Perkins and announces the nominees for the 2012 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards Show.

Using this a framing device, Jim looks back on his unconventional life and career, with reflections from his collaborators and admirers within the industry - from his small town roots in the Carolinas, almost witnessing John Lennon's murder in New York City, being discovered in the 80s LA Western Beat scene, his frustrations and false starts, conflicts with record labels, unexpected success as a hit country songwriter, collaborations with idols Ralph Stanley and Elvis Costello, and the rise of the Americana movement, where a guy who'd never been able to fit in the confines of country radio found a home in a genre and community he'd be unwittingly a pioneer of, leading to Grammys and the most prolific and artistically fulfilling stretch of Jim's career, a chapter he seems in no danger of closing.

The roll call of interviewees includes Jim, Elvis Costello, Buddy Miller, Rodney Crowell, Ketch Secor, John Oates, Gary Allan, Jerry Douglas, Tony Brown, James Burton, Sunny Sweeney, Peter Cooper, Mike Compton, Dennis Crouch, Kenny Vaughan and Pete Anderson.

So that's three Sugarcanes, plus another National Ransom alumni (Buddy) and a Confederate (James Burton).

In other Costello adjacent interest, you'll hear snippets of tracks Jim cut in London with Nick Lowe's band and see Jim and Nick's producer Neil Brockbank hashing it out together in Quad Studios (where Neil Young recorded Harvest) - they are the greatest double act since Morcambe and Wise.

Here's a still of Elvis talking about Jim's dress sense:



And a behind the scenes shot of Elvis and I during the interview:

[johnfoyle]

Well done Jeremy!

I seem to remember tweeting you a comment that Steve Averill once told me he reckoned he 'hipped' Elvis to Jim. While talking to me about the EC sleeves he had designed, he got talking about a then ('10) recent Sugarcanes show. Mentioning Jim he said how he had , back in the 1990s, recommended some Buddy Miller discs to Elvis. Jim was on them and Steve believed that was where Elvis first became aware of him. I'm sorry I didn't elaborate on that for you before Jeremy - or maybe you figured out for yourself?

[Jack of All Parades]

Best of fortunes to you as your documentary enters into distribution mode. Look forward to viewing it and to those elements that involve Buddy Miller.

[Jeremy Dylan]

I seem to remember tweeting you a comment that Steve Averill once told me he reckoned he 'hipped' Elvis to Jim. While talking to me about the EC sleeves he had designed, he got talking about a then ('10) recent Sugarcanes show. Mentioning Jim he said how he had , back in the 1990s, recommended some Buddy Miller discs to Elvis. Jim was on them and Steve believed that was where Elvis first became aware of him.

Interesting - that could very well be the case. As Jim remembers it, he and Elvis first met when they were both appearing on the Grand Ole Opry around a decade ago. He gave Elvis a copy of his latest record and it seems that Elvis became an admirer of Jim's after that, based on what Elvis told me. Although he could certainly have been aware of Jim before that.

Jim and Buddy are all over each other's records. They met while plugging away playing country and bluegrass sets at clubs in New York in the early 1980s, then later when Jim moved to LA and got his first real break, he called Buddy and encouraged him to join him. Buddy played guitar in Jim's band for about five years, and on his records Pretty Close To The Truth and Every Second Counts.

As Buddy's solo career took off in the mid '90s, they collaborated less frequently, but Jim sings harmonies on a lot of Buddy's tracks, and Buddy's licks are all over Jim's albums.

They've also written a number of great songs together including Hole In My Head, Love In The Ruins and Don't Wait.

They've also been threatening to do a duets album for years, but as you can imagine, those are some tough schedules to coordinate.

[Jeremy Dylan]

Best of fortunes to you as your documentary enters into distribution mode. Look forward to viewing it and to those elements that involve Buddy Miller.

Thanks Jack.

Buddy features throughout the film, as he does throughout Jim's life. My best archival find was a copy of Jim's barnstorming performance at the 1994 Montreux Jazz Festival, featuring a dark-haired Buddy on guitar and harmonies, and the late great Donald Lindley on drums.

A trivia factoid for Elvis fans - Jim's first manager? One Dr. John Ciambotti.

[johnfoyle]

http://www.grammymuseum.org/interior.ph ... lauderdale

[Jack of All Parades]

Hello Indie Go Goers,

Director Jeremy Dylan here.

I’ve been hunkered down in the editing bunker for the past five months and at long last, the film is complete!

After two years of planning, flying, spending, shooting, interviewing and editing, the story of Jim Lauderdale is ready to be shown to the public at large.

Our trip to the US, funded by you wonderful people, was a remarkable success. My producer Chris Kamen and I followed Jim from Merlefest 25 in Wilkesboro, NC to the California Desert to Nashville’s legendary RCA Studio A.

We interviewed Elvis Costello, John Oates, Rodney Crowell, Pete Anderson, Sunny Sweeney, Peter Cooper, Dusty Wakeman and more.

Now, I’m preparing to embark on another trip to the US to launch the film with two premiere screenings – one that will be announced soon and one which I’m pleased to unveil now.

On Tuesday December 11, the fine folks at the Grammy Museum @ LA Live will host our Los Angeles premiere. Jim and I will both be in attendance and there will be a Q&A after the film.

Tickets are on sale now for American Express card holders and will be on sale to everyone on November 28, at noon.

For more information, visit: http://www.grammymuseum.org/interior.php?sectio...

To keep up with the film on line, you can like us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JimLauderdaleMovie

Or visit our (recently revamped) website at jimlauderdalemovie.com

This is also the time when we will start fulfilling some more of the perks, some of which have gone out already.

And once again, I’d like to thank you all for your exceptional generosity. Without your support, the film wouldn’t be half of what it is.

One thing that has become evident again and again as I’ve gone on the journey of making this film is the love people have for Jim, his music and his spirit. I hope we’ve done him justice.

Cheers from down under,
Jeremy Dylan
Our Los Angeles premiere screening

Best of Luck , Mr. Dylan, as your film launches. Looking forward to viewing it.

[Jeremy Dylan]

Thanks for the support guys.

I'll be at the screening. Would be nice to meet any of you who feel like coming along.

[migdd]

Job well done, Jeremy! Wish I could make it to one of the screenings.

I'll just have to hope for a DVD release of some sort. Please keep us posted and again - Congratulations!

[Jeremy Dylan]

If anyone feels like a peek at the trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8r3oJEfZ1E

[johnfoyle]

Just got this - so wish I was able to be there !


Hello, me again.

As promised, I return with news of our Nashville premiere.

If you head down to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Saturday December 8, you’ll be able to attend the world premiere of the film.

http://countrymusichalloffame.org/calen ... &year=2012

The screening will kick off at 1.30pm and will be the first time the finished film has been screened outside of my edit suite.

Afterward, Jim and I will jibber-jabber about the film in a Q&A with a mystery moderator. I’m not saying it’s Barbara Walters, but I’m not saying it isn’t.

So come along, say howdy, watch my movie and go out into the world and buy one of Jim’s new records. Carolina Moonrise is a bluegrass album he wrote with Robert Hunter is awesome. The other one is called ‘Buddy and Jim’ and it’s a duets album with someone else who appears in the doco.

Also, check out the brand new trailer for the doc, right here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8r3oJEfZ1E

See you Sates-side, or maybe not. I know some of you live in England, so I’m not expecting you to fly over just for this. Unless you’re rich.

Cheers from down under,
Jeremy Dylan

[Jeremy Dylan]

If any of you are Australian based, we're holding our Aussie premiere in Sydney at the Dendy Cinema Newtown in a couple of weeks.

I'd also encourage anyone in Tamworth this month to come and see one of Jim's shows as part of the Tamworth Country Music Festival. He'll be playing a special songwriters in the round show with Craig Campbell and Elizabeth Cook on January 24 at the Capitol Theatre: http://www.capitoltheatretamworth.com.a ... _Showcase/

Then on Friday the 25th, he'll be doing a barnstorming full band show at the same venue: http://www.capitoltheatretamworth.com.a ... _and_Band/
I have it on good authority that I Lost You might make it into the set.


http://jimlauderdalemovie.eventbrite.com/

Jim Lauderdale is a 2-time Grammy winning singer, radio DJ, awards show host, tai chi master, writer of countless hit songs and hugely respected among the music community. Yet despite his obvious talent and the huge success others have had with his songs, he's never achieved great fame with his own albums.

The film traces his strange and eclectic career, from the hills of the Carolinas, the bars of NY and LA to Nashville's songwriting A-list, and seeks to discover why he never became a big mainstream star. It features location footage, performances from throughout Jim's career and interviews with fans and collaborators including Elvis Costello, John Oates, Buddy Miller, Gary Allan, Tony Brown, James Burton, Jerry Douglas and more.

Fresh from premiere screenings at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville and LA's Grammy Museum, this is the first theatrical screening of this brand new feature doucumentary in Australia.

In attendance at the screening will be the Australian director of the film, Jeremy Dylan, and the star and subject, Jim Lauderdale himself, who will participate in a short Q&A session after the film.

Don't miss the story of a modern day roots music icon, filmed on location in Nashville, Hollywood, Merlefest and the California Desert.

Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts was directed by Jeremy Dylan and produced by Dylan and Chris Kamen.

For more info, visit http://jimlauderdalemovie.com/ and like the film at http://www.facebook.com/JimLauderdaleMovie

[pophead2k]

Jeremy and the film get a nice mention in this interview with Jim from PopDose:
http://popdose.com/sxsw-interview-jim-lauderdale/

[Jeremy Dylan]

There was an anecdote Jim told about John Lennon that I love, but hasn't made it into the final cut of the film. I thought it might be of interest to folks here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlAWs3IOjfY

[docinwestchester]

There was an anecdote Jim told about John Lennon that I love, but hasn't made it into the final cut of the film. I thought it might be of interest to folks here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlAWs3IOjfY

Well told story but oh so CREEPY!

[johnfoyle]

Jim's coming to Dublin!

[Jeremy Dylan]

I would encourage attendance.

[johnfoyle]

Tickets got!

[johnfoyle]

During a great show here in Dublin last night Jim Lauderdale did I Lost You', talked about writing it with Elvis and said he was releasing his own version of it on a album, called I think 'I'm A Song', ' in the Spring.

[Jeremy Dylan]

Glad to hear you enjoyed the show John. You got the name of Jim's upcoming record correct.

[johnfoyle]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... bea7a5e42c

[Jeremy Dylan]

Jim talks about how he first discovered Elvis's music and their shared love of Gram Parsons in the latest episode of my podcast: http://mrjeremydylan.tumblr.com/post/81 ... le-on-gram

[MOJO]

Nice pic, John Foyle. Dang, Jim is looking fresh.

Thanks for the link, Jeremy Dylan. I'm up for a meet up when you visit the Bay Area.

[johnfoyle]

Jim Lauderdale's forthcoming new album 'I'm A Song ' will include his version of his co-write with Elvis 'I Lost You' .


http://www.jimlauderdale.com/special-pr ... avail-now/

[Jeremy Dylan]

I was in the studio with Jim when he cut this record and it's a doozy. The cut of "I Lost You" features an instrumental lineup including Buddy Miller, James Burton, Al Perkins, John Jarvis, Dennis Crouch and Chad Cromwell.