02-05-2025
Singer-songwriter John Murry makes the big screen his own in a special documentary
Deserving of its place on any of those Albums You Should Hear Before the Next World lists, American singer-songwriter John Murry's 2013 solo debut The Graceless Age was a startling chronicle of life on the margins.
It also led to a special bond with Ireland.
In the wake of the record's release on the Dublin label Rubyworks, Murry pitched up here, realised he wasn't in the humour to budge, and ended up staying for many years, becoming Longford's most famous blow-in from Mississippi in the process.
Murry is now based in Boston, but his ties across the Atlantic are only strengthened by this special film. It's about his music and a lot more besides.
Mixing memoir and travelogue, director Sarah Share joins Murry as he goes back to Mississippi to recount the genesis of The Graceless Age - family, race, and harrowing experiences alongside a love of literature and the blues. The director's patchwork approach to her subject works remarkably well, and Murry proves to be as beguiling on camera as he is on both vinyl and stage. There's a series there should he and Share decide to collaborate again. In the meantime, they ensure that both newcomer and long-time fan are well catered for here.
Fittingly, the documentary ends with a message for us all - as profound as it is matter-of-fact. "We all have to learn how to carry on, get on with it," says Murry.
You'll wish him the best.
