Where Are You, Jay Bennett?

Great, unbiased film that tells the story of Jay Bennett whose influence on Wilco's records like Being There, Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot helped evolve Wilco to where they are today. A true artist.

Ask any Wilco fan what their favorite album by the band is, and you know they'll say Being There, Summerteeth, or YHF. That, of course, is the Jay Bennett era.

Sadly, too many modern fans of Wilco (and music in general) have no appreciation for how talented Jay was. How influential. How creative. This film takes it upon itself to show you, to teach you. Consider it a Master Class in Jay Bennett appreciation.

Through countless interviews with family, friends, and colleagues - along with fantastic interviews with Jay himself - you get a full picture of his history, development, his ups and downs, his quirks and his generosity. But it's not a false narrative. There's no worshipping at the altar of a false messiah. The people who knew him best reveal the true picture of the man. He was complicated, sometimes difficult, obsessed with details, and sometimes had a bit of a kitchen sink approach to recording music.

Above all, you learn how Bennett worked so hard to be everything he could be to anyone who needed him. He'd wear as many hats as necessary. Like so many of us, he just wanted to be liked, appreciated, and most of all understood.

This documentary is NOT just for fans of Wilco. Any true music fan will love this film.

I'll admit as a huge Wilco fan (and therefore a bit "protective" of Jeff Tweedy maybe?) I was nervous to see this film as I thought it might position Tweedy as the villain and Jay as the hero (to flip the script from I Am Trying To Break Your Heart). But this film didn't do that. It was an intricate study of a complex person who happened to be a multi-instrumental genius singer-songwriter. It helped fill in so much of the picture of someone who was instrumental (no pun intended) in pushing Wilco to its highest heights - but also someone who, ultimately, seemed to have an insatiable desire to constantly push boundaries and ride the lightning in such a way that just was not sustainable in a band context. I feel more empathy for Jay certainly than I did before this film, and I also understand my favorite band (and why the Jay era is my favorite era) better. It is artfully done but not precious - great use of live concert footage, interviews, animation, and music. The only thing I think would have improved it was hearing from other collaborators who knew or worked with Jay but as documentary fillmmakers you can't control who will or won't speak to you! Very engaging and I look forward to owning the DVD when it comes out, I will watch it again and will definitely delve into the extra footage.

Jay was a complicated genius whose life would take several seasons of a docudramedy musical to even begin to scratch the surface. The filmmakers did a near perfect job of whittling things down to an appetite-whetting sample to entice anyone who enjoys music to delve deep into what remains of Mr. Bennett's legacy. A compelling and fascinating story well-told.

Jay Bennett is one of the least known geniuses of popular music. His name should be mentioned in the same breath as Brian Wilson and Brian Eno, but he has been unfairly cast, by an earlier documentary film, as the necessary villain of the early Wilco story. A poignant, moving, celebration of a true innovator in music who tragically passed before his time. Where Are You, Jay Bennett? Is the product of 10 years of work, and it shows. I've just attended the world premiere and I can say, without doubt, that this is a story that needed to be told.