“Honeydripper is set at the intersection of two movements that would change American life forever: civil rights, and rhythm & blues.” - Chicago Sun-Times

Former boogie-woogie jazz muso Pine Top (Danny Glover) is struggling to keep the doors of his Alabama blues lounge open, faced with the popularity of the juke-box joint next door. When the great Guitar Sam doesn't turn up for Pine Top's night of nights, his only choice is to hire Sonny, a drifter who claims he can play the homemade contraption he's carved out of wood - an electric guitar.
Framed by the exuberant beginnings of rock ‘n' roll, Sayles's film captures the restlessness of the Deep South in the early 50s, and depicts a country poised on the brink of a great social change.