Within A Few Degrees: A Little Gest of Bob Frank

Off of a recommendation from a friend, I listened to Bob Frank's debut album from 1972, and almost immediately I was met with music that had beautifully succinct vocal and lyrical storytelling accompanied by considered instrumentation. Looking at the album's reception on Spotify and RateYourMusic, I was surprised to see how 'unknown' it was, considering how solidly written the whole record is. But after watching this documentary, knowing its entire history, it's lovely to see that while that number is low, the community surrounding his music is dedicated and passionate.

I'm so glad that we got this documentary, and that we have a source for more information about Bob Frank's life beyond with what he did with Vanguard. What I love most about Within A Few Degrees is that it doesn't beg more from Bob; it doesn't dwell on the would-be's of the past, but rather celebrates his present accomplishments. Bob Frank is content man, we do not see an ounce of regret from him here. In fact, he is successful according to his own terms; he had a family and he wrote songs, and that's what made him happy.

The best part of this whole documentary happens when we pass the Vanguard era, the moment of his resurgence during the 2000s. During the interview portions involving Frank, he is dismissive and somewhat callous of his career. But when we do see him performing his art, rather than just talking about it, with people in the room actively enjoying what he had created, he glows and softens a bit. Added that with the parts of the fans and their anecdotes, the documentary ends with a sweet and satisfactory answer to the question: "What's Bob Frank up to?".

Bob Frank, 1944 - 2019

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Taken from Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/4II5Zz