AllMovie

Guitarist Jon Dee Graham got his start as a member of the first-generation Austin, Texas punk rock band the Skunks, but he became a major figure on the Austin music scene as a member of the True Believers, a trailblazing roots rock group that also featured Alejandro Escovedo, and since their breakup Graham has worked with John Doe, John Hiatt, Michelle Shocked, Kelly Willis and the Gourds as well as cutting a handful of critically acclaimed solo albums. Graham is a local legend in Austin who can fill clubs week in and out, but he still hasn't found a sizable nationwide audience for his music, and as he works to keep up with the demands of the musician's life, he also tries to live up to him obligations as a family man, spending as much time as he can with his two sons, one of which is dealing with ongoing health problems. Filmmaker Mark Finkelpearl is a major fan of Jon Dee Graham's work, and with Graham's cooperation he made Jon Dee Graham: Swept Away, a documentary which explores Graham's life and art, including a number of live and studio performances by Graham and his band, appreciations from critics and fellow musicians, and interviews with Graham in which he talks about his creative process, his family, his philosophy and his personal definition of success.