After recently doing publicity and production for the 22^nd Annual Wine Country Film Festival in Northern California, I was pleased and surprised to see, as part of its schedule, a movie made about the great guitar player from the 50’s and 60’s in Nashville, Hank Garland.

While not a household name, guitar buffs well versed in American Western Music all know about the guitar instrumental Sugarfoot Rag & if you are only familiar with household names from that era then names like Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, The Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison, should ring a bell, these are some of the artists who used Hank Garland’s guitar playing on their recordings. 

Without giving too much away about the life and career of Hank Garland, which can be easily researched, I will just say that any person who has a pioneering spirit whether it be artistic, inventive, scientific, political, or religious, is a person blessed with the gift of fearless knowledge and a vision that stretches far beyond the people that surround them, and they are also cursed with the fearful knowledge and lack of vision from the ones who try to control this knowledge.

Director Rick Bieber, (also a guitar player) did a good thing for the music making community by bringing to life the tale of a lesser known genius whose contribution was still great and true.

While working with a limited budget Director Rick Bieber is still able to re-create this Indie Drama that puts you straight back into that beautiful era of the 50’s and 60’s when American Music was still elegant and stylish. The costumes, lighting, set designs and cars are all believable, as are the actors, which include a few lesser known modern day musicians, Waylon Payne, who plays Hank Garland brilliantly, Stacey Earl, Shaun Colvin and also great performances from other lesser known actors Ali Larter, Lane Garrison and David Conrad.

With all this is said and done what is left is the drama and this is where I think Rick Bieber shows a great talent as a director, he has a great sense of drama, and he is able to make this recreation of a mans life firstly entertaining, which is why we watch a movie, and secondly, feeling for his life, the events that affected him, the people that affected him and how he reacted to them.

Go see this one if you like to find a hidden treasure within a hidden treasure, in a place where no one was looking, and you will find other undiscovered gems along this path, all kinds of pioneers, usually with so much more to say.

                                     Go to www.crazy-themovie.com

David T. Carter

www.davidtcarter.com

David T Carter is a professional musician in Northern California and our music editor. Please visit his website at davidtcarter.com

HOM