Garland Jeffreys: The King of in Between

I knew quite a bit about Garland going in and loved his music since getting into it around 1980, but I learned a lot I didn't know, particularly about his early career. Great archival footage from all corners of his life, particularly growing up in Brooklyn and getting started in NYC. There could have been dozens of "talking heads" who were close to Garland's life and career, but the director (his wife, Claire) wisely chose not to let the commentary overwhelm the narrative, the pictures/video, and his music. A well-deserved salute to an under-appreciated giant (how's for an oxymoron!) in American music!

Garland Jeffreys is such an great talent that not enough people know about. Hopefully, this documentary will help change that. Running a University program this will be a great resource for our music history course. I look forward to turning many more people onto Jeffreys. The documentary gives a great overview of his career and life. Also touching on the cultural history of the era he grew up in and started his career. It was interesting to see why he was on so many different record labels. Also, I didn't realize how "Matador" was such a worldwide hit for him. It's interesting to see how many artists are fans of his work and admire Jeffreys.

I saw this film at Doc NYC in 2024 where it also won the audience award! I've lived in NYC for over 30 years and had never been exposed to Garland's story or his music - This documentary is a hidden gem. It's a powerful, deeply human portrait of an artist who never fit into a box -

The film captures Garland Jeffreys' passion, honesty, and undeniable talent with such heart. It's a music doc - but it's also about identity, perseverance, and staying true to yourself no matter what. It's an inspiring story especially for anyone who's ever felt like they didn't quite fit in or had to carve their own path.

Highly recommend.

Claire Jeffreys' powerful documentary about her husband Garland's career expertly plays with your expectations and turns them inside out to create a moving portrait of a rock star that should have been.

Luckily we have his recordings as proof of his immense talent and Claire delivers lots of examples on screen. That alone would have been enough.

As the documentary started, my heart sank as one talking head after another extolled Garland's talent. We were only 10-15 minutes in - would the rest be more of the same? Then Claire threw out all the standard rock-doc cliches and instead told us the heart breaking and emotional story of her life with Garland and what they both had to overcome. If you don't already know you will need to watch it to find out.

Seek it out.

This is a fascinating and educational film that takes us through the life and career of an often unfairly overlooked singer songwriter. Told through intimate interviews, footage and of course the amazing music of Garland Jeffries, the film portrays a struggling artist who searches and clearly finds his place in the musical world. Although that place might not be at the top of the charts, it is a heartwarming to see the love and support of family and the musical community clearly proving that it is a life and musical career well played! Moving and beautifully told, the film will introduce many to the talent and creative genius of The King of In Between. Kudos to Garland's wife Claire for lovingly crafting and weaving together this amazing film!