Joanne and I took a trip to Vorhees Hall on the campus of Rutgers University to see the New Jersey Film Festival screening of Henry Frost and Sarah McCuiston production of The Sandy Mack Experience. Sarah, who is Sandy’s daughter and actor/film maker Henry, most notably known as Matthew McConaughey’s screen double spent the last several years filming, interviewing and digging into the archives. They have created a movie which documents Sandy’s involvement and importance in the Jersey Shore music scene, especially the jam band scene where he has been the focal point in its creation.
The idea for the movie came from Sarah prior to the pandemic. She wanted people who were only familiar with the area through the Springsteen, Southside, BonJovi connection, to see what else is going on here, and why this area rivals any other music centric area in the country. She also wanted it to be an homage to her dad, who has done so much for those in need, as well as mentoring young musicians through the “Jamily.”
This came together one night in front of the Asbury Hotel at one of the Wednesday night Jamily affairs, which has been hosting the event since it opened. Sarah was outside on a weed break, and Henry, who had recently moved to Asbury Park from New Orleans, and she were talking. When he told her he was a documentary film maker, the plan was hatched. Sarah was able to find some early pictures, but it wasn’t easy, as Sandy was an Army brat who was born in Japan, and his parents separated early, with his father moving to Kentucky. He was a shy kid, but music and being on stage helped to bring him out of his shell, but he’s always maintained a laid back, even disposition, which has served him well in gaining the trust and admiration of the music community. He also cited Magic Dick of the J. Geils Band as one of his early influences.
He credits Marc Muller, a local musician who has played with artists from Shania Twain to Bruce, with getting him involved with the jam band culture. Marc asked him to join a project he was working on called Dead on Live, where they would recreate note for note versions of Grateful Dead shows. Now he had seen the Dead a few times, but when he saw the atmosphere created at those shows, something clicked, and eventually morphed into what later became the Jamily. At that time, he was still heavily involved with the blues, especially at local clubs like Asbury Blues and The Press Room, and our paths crossed many times at gigs and festivals the Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation booked him on, as well as most notably, the fundraiser he created twenty-seven years ago, called Harpin’ Help. This event pairs harp players with bands they don’t normally play with, to raise money for the Foundation and collects nonperishable food which helps to support selected local food pantries. These events are highlighted in the film, along with interviews with local musicians Sandy has incorporated in his rotating Jamily band, including Tom Marshall of the band Phish, Marc Ribler, Paul Avrutin, Mike Flynn, Kevin Hill, Mark Diomede and the members of the band Dogs in a Pile, among others. One of my favorite quotes came from Kyle Brindle, who books the Stone Pony acts as well as several other local venues, regarding his ability to get things done, as he says, “The Sandy man can!” Some of those things mentioned in the movie included mentoring young musicians, such as Carlotta Schmidt, who came out of the JSJBF Youth Open Mic, starting at the age of eight and was mentioned to Sandy as a fifteen-year-old. He saw the talent and commitment she had, and he immediately put her on as an opening act at the Asbury Hotel. Within a year, she had formed a band of much older musicians from Sandy’s pool, went into the Shorefire recording studio, and recorded her first CD by the time she was sixteen. Another great story recounted in the film is that of Brian Albrecht, a young guitar player who sat in with Sandy on a regular basis until he suffered brain damage from a thirty foot fall out of a ski gondola. Sandy and the Jamily held several fundraisers to help with his medical bills and Sandy had him back on stage as part of his recovery. I’m happy to say he has made a remarkable recovery, thanks in part to Sandy’s efforts and the support of the Jamily. Several of the Jamily members, Lois Chick, Tye Dye Amy and Dancin Samiam also are interviewed and you can feel their appreciation for what Sandy has created.
It’s a unique space that Sandy and all his musicians have carved out, and while the music can go off in many directions, the unity of the Jamily is what makes it work week after week.
Make sure you stay for the credits, to see them played over Carlotta Schmidt’s original tune, “Unapologetically Me,” which may not have been written for Sandy, it certainly captures what he is all about. Kudos also goes out to Henry’s exwife, Mary Angus, who edited the film. You can learn a lot from the film, but The Sandy Mack Experience is something best understood live.