I’ve been wrestling with a piece on Jon Dee Graham since I first started writing, and until today, I’ve never felt up to it. Hell, I still don’t really feel up to it, but I can’t live with myself if I let it slide another day.

The final push I needed came in the form of a documentary – Jon Dee Graham: Swept Away. The doc is a loving look at the life of Jon Dee, and an exploration of his music. On those two counts, it’s serviceable. It doesn’t really go into enough detail on his early works to be considered a true career spanning look at his life and works. What it does do, though, is give the viewer an intimate look into the heart and soul of an artist who truly places his art above his career. And at that, it’s really damn good.

Living in Austin, it has been my privilege to see Jon Dee Graham perform live more times than I can count. To see Jon Dee take the stage is to see a man set on fire with passion. From the moment he straps the guitar on, he paces the stage like a caged animal. Like a prophet of old, his calling is to share all the truth he has learned, and all the pain and heartbreak of the learning. And watching Jon Dee, it’s very clear that these aren’t just songs. He lived every note, he bled every line, and he burns with the need to tell it.

And you feel it. If you can watch Jon Dee testify and not be moved, I’m not sure I want to know you. It’s not always easy to hear, it’s not always pretty, but it’s always beautiful. And when the night is right, and the stars are aligned just so, the man and his band do indeed “leave nothing standing”.

If you’ve never seen Jon Dee Graham, you must. His records are great, and you should buy them, but trust me, they pale in comparison to the real thing. Get thee to the Continental Club in Austin, and get thee there soon. If that’s not possible in the next few weeks, then get this documentary. It’s available at Amazon. The DVD captures the heart and the power of Jon Dee’s live performances in a way that studio recordings never will.

There are very few musicians in the world who really matter. Bono does not matter. Springsteen does not matter. Jon Dee matters. And if you think that sounds like hyperbole, I get that. In this case, though, it’s nothing more than the truth. Jon Dee isn’t a rock star, and even he acknowledges that that’s a good thing. “I don’t think that was ever my goal – to be a rock star, you know? I think my goal was to make good music and do something I believe in. And that’s what I’m getting’ to do.” Jon Dee writes and performs for all the right reasons. It’s not the money, it’s not the fame, it’s the songs. It’s the truth.

It’s the soul.

If my words aren’t enough to move you, maybe 7 minutes of clips from the documentary will.