RIOTUS

“You are not writing a chronicle of what you’ve lived through. You are taking true stories from your life and turning them into art.” – Wendy Dale, memoirist

Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted. Okay, so I know what you’re thinking: that title makes absolutely no sense. The first time I heard it, I thought someone was stringing ridiculous words together in an effort to sow confusion in my mind. But no, the overarching story is actually about a man named Swamp Dogg, who wants the bottom of his pool painted—with the image of himself riding a giant white rat cowboy style. Weird, right? Stick with me, though.

See, there’s nothing quite so delightful as old Black men in conversation. I mean, they done seen some shit, they definitely gonna talk some shit and on top of that, they’re gonna do it with the most colorful turns of phrases possible. Swamp Dogg and his boys—along with the occasional famous neighbor or two—chop it up poolside, while artist Jesse Willembring, at the bottom of the empty pool, brings Swamp’s vision to life. It’s in these moments that we truly get to enjoy the camaraderie of this merry band of brothers who have transformed Swamp’s home into a bachelor pad for aging music artists. It is in moments like these that we learn Swamp is a simple man who would love nothing more than a pair of socks adorned with an explicit message.

In the midst of these bouts of conversation, we are surreptitiously redirected to seemingly disparate memories in Swamp Dogg’s life. The doc flows kind of like of how our memories actually work—one small thing—a word, smell, image, whatever, triggers a treasured memory and we are off on a journey through the past. With tons of photos, music and archival footage to play with, this journey through Swamp’s past is in vivid technicolor.

“I’m not just a soul singer or whatever they think I am. I’m so much more.” – Swamp Dogg

So now let me back this up a little, who is this Swamp Dogg you ask? If you’re like me and just discovering Swamp Dogg, I’m sure the blues lovers and West Coast hip hop diehards among us are undoubtedly aghast at our ignorance. The Blues, Country Soul, R&B, (and now Bluegrass) singer/musician/songwriter, born Jerry Williams, spent much of the ’50’s and ’60s in the world of soul, funk, and R&B—both as an artist and an A&R/producer working with the likes of Patti LaBelle, The Commodores, and The Drifters. Williams rebranded himself as Swamp Dogg in 1970 because he felt he needed an alter-ego and Dogg was his ass-kicker.

Oh yeah, and the hip hop? Did I tell you he also produced a little diddy by MC Breed that you all may know called, “Ain’t No Future In Your Frontin’” AND he managed the World Class Wreckin’ Cru. (and if you don’t know WCWC, you don’t know anything about West Coast hip hop). Man is a legend. He’s also a chef with a cookbook entitled, If You Can Kill It, I Can Cook It. And the doc had clips from both his cooking show and his seemingly random stint on The Peoples’ Court (amongst many other tv appearances).

A family man who loved and respected his late wife, Yvonne, deeply, and holds an undeniable bond with his loving daughter, Dr. Jeri Williams, Swamp reminds me of a slightly less raunchy, but exponentially more musical, version of Rudy Ray Moore.

Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted is a musical montage composed of a melody of memories. Equal parts biography, music history and performance poetry—with some psychedelics and a splash of MTV Cribs thrown in for good measure—the film is a tribute to the liberties Swamp takes in his expression of creativity, ways in which a lot of artists do not get the space to exist.

But wait, that’s not all! SDGHPP is the gift that keeps on giving—kind of like those Russian nesting dolls—as his uber talented, equally offbeat longtime companions, Guitar Shorty and Moogstar get their own documentary treatment within the documentary.

Guitar Shorty, a musical legend in his own right, came to live with Swamp and his wife, Yvonne, during a time of turmoil, quickly becoming a member of the family. His story is touching and heartbreaking—everyone should be blessed with as loyal a friend. The adventures of Moogstar, the multi-instrumentalist, multi-hyphenate artist with his collection of musical instruments, Cabbage Patch Kids and other stuffed animals, ushered in the multimedia (and slightly paranormal!) aspects of the film, being partially told in Scooby Doo style animation.

If you’re a fan of music, history, good storytelling, bullshitting and/or psychedelics, this documentary is probably right up your alley. It’s 97 minutes of a good time and unless you’re the biggest, most cold-hearted grump on the face of the earth, I guarantee that once the paint is dry, you will have a smile on your face.

Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted is now available on Apple TV, Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Google Play, DirecTV, and more, from Magnolia Home Entertainment.