Garland Jeffreys: The King of in Between

Garland Jeffrey's music has been a brilliant accompaniment to our lives... from Cool Down Boy - Matador and many others.

Seeing him perform live at Joe's Pub, Irving Plaza, and the Bottom Line - i will never forget his descent from the Irving Plaza balcony on a rope with mike in hand singing as he made his way to the orchestra level and onto the stage. The consummate showman with a heart steeped in musical history. He was loved and appreciated by Springstreen and Lou Reed along with countless others ... professional musicians and fans. This film offers a deep look into a creative genius and will introduce him to those who might not yet have heard his poetry and musicianship. Don't miss the chance to see Garland Jeffreys King of In Between.

Garland Jeffreys is a tremendous artist but this documentary does more than show that. It shows a working artist's life. An honest depiction of a beautiful man who struggled. Struggled in the best sense of the word. He committed to being in this life, reckon with success and failure. Reckon with family and commitment. Reckon with his issues. His continued commitment to being a father, husband, community member and musician is beautiful. This movie is intimate. You see his marriage and family for real. Deeply moving. His story is an American story. One that is often left out. So grateful for this movie.

What an interesting story...Garland Jeffreys is an amazing musician who's written a lot of great songs in a lot of different genres. (Hell, Bruce Springsteen and a lot of other fantastic people say so in this documentary, so it must be true.)

So learning about Garland's life and music is really cool. But what elevates this doc to something more is the exploration it does into the question: What does it mean to be "successful"? How famous do you have to be, how rich do you have to be? Or is it possible to NOT achieve all your dreams and goals, and yet still be successful?

Yeah, that's a question that I think most of us can legitimately ask ourselves. And this doc shows us that success means a lot of different things. I left this thinking that Garland Jeffreys, despite not becoming a household name, was very much a success. He had a great career, wrote songs that mean a lot to a lot of people...and at the same time was able to be a loving dad to his daughter. THAT'S success.

So, in short...while I'd specifically recommend this doc to music lovers, I'd really recommend it to anyone, since the questions it asks are relevant to everyone.

I have been a fan of Garland since the 1970's. This film is long overdue. The editing is wonderful and the only thing wrong with this film is I wish it was longer. Garland's influence is widespread. He is the songwriter's songwriter and the musician's musician. A must see if you love music. He has impacted and influanced rock, rap, punk, new wave, you name it. This film documents his years in the music industry, mostly under the radar but noticed by those in the know. The interviews are all very interesting and his peers give him great accolades. The film includes rare video and photos unseen before now. So see this documentary where everyone you can.

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.