Today, John Hiatt and Jerry Douglas debut the first official trailer for their upcoming documentary Leftover Feelings: A Studio B Revival to coincide with the 2022 lineup reveal from the Boulder International Film Festival. Directed by Ted Roach and Lagan Sebert, the film features interviews with Dolly Parton, Lyle Lovett, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, and more testifying their respect for Hiatt and Douglas, and their reverence for the Historic RCA Studio B located on Nashville’s Music Row. The documentary musically weaves the narrative together, led by Hiatt and The Jerry Douglas Band in up-close, all-access footage shot during the recording of their 2022 Grammy Award nominated album Leftover Feelings available from New West Records.
Met with widespread critical acclaim, Uncut Magazine said of the Leftover Feelings album, "At 68, Hiatt is producing some of the best work of his career, mapping his inner life with an eloquence that most can only aspire to.” The Wall Street Journal said “The project itself was recorded at the historic RCA Studio B in Nashville. As seen on videos of the recording in progress, the camaraderie, good times and shared good humor were palpable. You'll find them catching." Glide Magazine said “The Douglas-Hiatt pairing doesn’t just work – it excels brilliantly. Count this as Hiatt’s best recording since 2008’s Same Old Man” while Relix said “The pairing of these iconic musicians is true cause for celebration, which has bluegrass, folk, country and Americana enthusiasts eager to hear the results."
“I am such a fan of John Hiatt and his songwriting,” offers Dolly Parton in the film. “He has written some of the biggest hits ever and some of the greatest songs ever written in this whole wide world.” Rodney Crowell says, “Jerry Douglas…where would I start? Well, the dude’s won 14 Grammys, you can start right there.” Emmylou Harris adds, “It’s just a joy to play with him, he can play anything. It’s a beautiful marriage between them.”
Leftover Feelings: A Studio B Revival will be screening at the Boulder International Film Festival twice on Saturday, March 5th, in addition to upcoming screenings at the Amelia Island Film Festival February 24-27th, and at the Durango Film Festival on March 4-5th. These selections follow a World Premiere at the 2021 Nashville Film Festival, with more upcoming festival announcements coming soon.
Historic RCA Studio B serves as the perfect backdrop for John Hiatt and Jerry Douglas’ musical journey. Lyle Lovett explains, “Just walking into the room, you can’t help but imagine standing where Elvis Presley stood. There is an extra energy that comes from that.” The studio was one of the cradles of the “Nashville Sound” in the 1950s and 60s. A sophisticated style characterized by background vocals and strings, the Nashville Sound and Studio B played major roles in establishing Nashville’s identity as an international recording center. Hitmakers in Studio B included Country Music Hall of Fame members Eddy Arnold, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and more. Songs recorded within its walls span decades, genres and emotions, with Presley’s forlorn “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and Parton’s autobiographical “Coat of Many Colors” among them. Built when Hiatt was five years old, Studio B was designed for music to be made in real time by musicians listening to each other and reacting in the emotional moment. That’s what happened during the Leftover Feelings sessions: Five players on the studio floor, making decisions on instinct rather than calculation.
John Hiatt’s lyrics and melodies have graced more than 20 studio albums, have been recorded by Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, B.B. King & Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Iggy Pop, and scores of others, and have earned him a place in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, A BMI Troubadour award, and a lifetime achievement in songwriting designation from the Americana Music Association. Jerry Douglas has performed on more than 1,500 albums by artists including Ray Charles, George Jones, Alison Krauss, Earl Scruggs, and James Taylor, and none of those works sound a bit like the masterful Leftover Feelings.
