Music documentaries are usually made by fans, but Gillian Grisman, directorproducercinematographer of Grateful Dawg, is much more than that: she's bluegrass musician David Grisman's daughter, and so it is not surprising that this celebration of the musical friendship between Grisman and The Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia has no objectivity at all.
The footage of the two playing their 'dawg' music makes a grainy but touching portrait of two old friends devoting their talents to creating good music, but the interviews range from dull to dire. Interviewees include the director's mum and brothers as well as family chums with nothing useful to say - even the other musicians from Garcia and Grisman's old band, Old And In The Way, avoid any anecdotes or reminiscences to enlighten the viewer.
Only Grisman himself, still bushybearded, pony-tailed and appealingly obsessed, makes interesting listening - and of course the slivers of material recorded by a more accomplished interviewer with Garcia before he died. Otherwise, this is a whitewashed exercise in Jerry-worship: a trip to the altar for longer-haired Deadheads only.
Grateful Dawg
Cert: cert12A
