James Reams, as the face of the Barnstormers and as a solo string player, has been in the bluegrass game for over a quarter of a century, and in the new documentary Like a Flowing River: A Bluegrass Passage, we get exclusive insight into his roots and the rhythm of life that continues to inspire his work to this very day. Although the film features a number of interviews with members of the bluegrass community and excerpts of music that each could have easily served as the basis for an entire feature all on their own, the most compelling moments in its run time tend to come in the form of the personalized commentary Reams affords many of the old clips and photos shared with us on screen. 2020 has been a rather tumultuous year for us all, but if you’re a fan of pastoral songcraft, this is a release that might be just the right pick-me-up to make your November a little brighter.
MORE ON JAMES REAMS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Reams
The childhood experiences Reams was faced with undoubtedly paved the way for his career as a songwriter and player, but in the fashion they’re presented to us in the film, it’s evident that they’ve played a more important role in his recent work than some might have previously asserted. There’s a retrospective element to his tone in the recollections he shares with us in Like a Flowing River that isn’t as accessible to us in the recorded music he’s released thus far in his professional campaign, and although he’s coupling it with a lot of unvarnished performance and classic videos in this documentary, it’s incomparable to what many of his fans might have expected to get here (in a good way, mind you).
One of the most intriguing components of the structural framework in Like a Flowing River is the natural feel of its shots, which are strung together like home movies with adjacent commentary more than they are anything overtly theatrical and dramatic. Reams discusses getting lost in the records of the Camp Creek Boys with the sort of vulnerability that one would normally anticipate out of an intimate fireside chat between industrial colleagues, but his highbrow statements about wanting to pay homage to the most classical of bluegrass generations never translates as being particularly arrogant or self-serving. He’s quick to credit the love of his life with much of his success and inspiration whilst acknowledging an independent impact impossible without the influence of others, which, in my book, is as far away from egomaniacal behavior as an artist at this juncture of their career can get.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/James-Reams-Flowing-Bluegrass-Passage/dp/B08DCJQHQK
Whether a longtime fan of his music or a newcomer to his sound, I would highly recommend taking a look at what James Reams has to say in the new documentary Like a Flowing River: A Bluegrass Passage alongside any of the best bluegrass records debuting this autumn season. Much like a full-length album, this film is a gateway to an artist’s soul and perhaps one of the best opportunities many will have of better understanding his commitment to the medium.
Troy Johnston