New John Sayles Movie, Honeydripper, Focuses on Blues of the Deep South

Press release
Source: conqueroo / Cary Baker

Honeydripper, the new film written, directed and edited by John Sayles and produced by Maggie Renzi, takes us back to the genesis of rock 'n' roll - namely '50s rural blues from the Deep South. The story depicts a second chance for an aging bluesman, a kickoff to a young guitar turk's career and the rise of rock 'n' roll itself.

Opening in theaters on December 28, 2007 in New York and Los Angeles, the movie features an all-star cast including Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Stacy Keach, Mary Steenburgen, Yaya DeCosta and Sean Patrick Thomas. Featured musicians include Keb' Mo', Dr. Mable John, Eddie Shaw and Jerry Portnoy among many others. Music supervisor was Tim Bernett, with original music composed by Mason Daring.

The film's setting is a 1950 rural town of Harmony, Alabama, during cotton harvest. It's a make-or-break weekend for the Honeydripper Lounge and its owner, piano player Tyrone "Pine Top" Purvis. Deep in debt to the liquor man, the chicken man, and the landlord, Tyrone is desperate to lure the young cotton pickers and local Army base recruits into his juke joint and away from Touissant's, the rival joint across the way. After laying off his regular talent, blues singer Bertha Mae, Tyrone announces to his sidekick Maceo that he has hired the famous electric guitar player, Guitar Sam, for a special one-night-only gig: pack 'em in and save the club.

On the day of the show, the train arrives and Guitar Sam is nowhere to be found. Tyrone is forced to take action. He makes a deal with Sheriff Pugh to release Sonny, a kid who hopped off a freight car in Harmony, and turned up in the club claiming he could play the guitar as well as any Guitar Sam.

Tyrone cleans Sonny up and launches a scheme to pass off the young guitar picker as Guitar Sam just long enough to cut the lights and run off with the cash box. When Sonny takes the stage and launches into his first scalding electric licks, Tyrone will learn if it's lights out for the Honeydripper or if his luck has changed: he might just be another man saved by rock 'n' roll.

Honeydripper grew out of Sayles' fascination with the genesis of rock 'n' roll. "There was no single moment when R&B, blues, gospel, jazz and country all came together to create this thing called rock 'n' roll," he said, "but a big change came with the advent of the electric guitar. Before that, piano ruled. Suddenly a poor boy like Sonny (played by Gary Clark, Jr.) could travel around with a portable, cheap, high-volume electric guitar and peel the paint off the walls."

The Honeydripper All-Star Band, made up of musicians who act in the film, have been touring the blues festivals since early summer. The band consists of Gary Clark Jr. on guitar, Stax Records veteran Dr. Mable John on vocals, Henderson Huggins on keyboard, Howlin' Wolf/Muddy Waters band alumnus Eddie Shaw on saxophone and Arthur Lee Williams on harmonica. The band will continue to tour in support of the movie through the rest of the year and into the spring.

The movie also contains music by legendary blues/R&B artists Memphis Slim, Lil Green and Barrence Whitefield. The soundtrack recording will appear on a label to be announced shortly.

Honeydripper is John Sayles' 16th feature film and the 13th produced by longtime collaborator Maggie Renzi. It was shot in the southern Alabama towns of Greenville, Georgiana, Anniston and Midway in the late summer and early fall of 2006.

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