Although there is no way that anything captured on tape, be it video or audio, can fully recreate the experience of seeing a performer in person, the concert footage of Jon Dee Graham included in Swept Away gives a good indication of the level of intensity that he must reach during a performance. There's an indescribable quality not dependant on speed or volume.

Musicians are at times described as having "soul" by those wishing to define this intangible, as it implies a level of commitment to the music that goes beyond the ordinary, but even that seems to be inadequate when it comes to Jon Dee Graham.

He's tapped into something that allows him to create music that defines experiences in such a way that not only do they ring true, but an audience can identify with them. Yet it's not just the content, it's the spirit behind the song that people recognize; they can see themselves, and how they have felt in the situations he describes, like they are looking through the eyes of the song into their own lives.

Swept Away is more than just a documentary about a middle aged Rock and Roll musician. It's the portrait of an artist. Not only has director Mark Finkelpearl given us the opportunity to see some great music being performed through his filming of Jon Dee Graham in concert, but he offers a reminder of the cost paid by someone who has dedicated himself to the pursuit of creativity.

There is nothing glamourous or pretentious about Jon Dee Graham's life. Like a great many of us he lives in a quiet residential neighbourhood with his wife, two children and his dog and probably worries about how he's going to stretch his money to cover the rising cost of everything.

Yet there is also something incredibly special about Jon Dee Graham, and the way he looks at the world and is able to communicate that viewpoint to us through his music. Swept Away gives us the opportunity to meet a very special individual, and realize once again what it means to be an artist.

Swept Away goes on sale May 20th 2008, and can be purchased through Freedom Records. You can also purchase the soundtrack to the movie on CD from Freedom Records that features recordings of the tracks performed in the movie at the Continental Club, Mercury Hall, and Top Hat Studios.

Either one would be a great addition to anyone's library, but I'd buy both of them if I were you. There aren't many people like Jon Dee Graham out there.