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:
![Image](https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/177813_470033563025359_1501946157_o.jpg)
And a behind the scenes shot of Elvis and I during the interview:
![Image](https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/475615_10150907486033521_998154983_o.jpg)