Tom Dowd & the Language of Music (2003)

A documentary about Tom Dowd, who was an innovative recording engineer and producer of noted albums with John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Otis Redding, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers and many others.

Director:

Mark Moormann

Stars:

Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Aretha Franklin

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ginger Baker	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jim Camacho	...	Himself
Ray Charles	...	Himself
Eric Clapton	...	Himself
Ornette Coleman	...	Himself
John Coltrane	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bobby Darin	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tom Dowd	...	Himself
Ahmet Ertegun	...	Himself
Aretha Franklin	...	Herself
Thelonious Monk	...	Himself (archive footage)
Tito Puente	...	Himself (archive footage)
Phil Ramone	...	Himself
Otis Redding	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mike Stoller	...	Himself

Storyline

If you picked some of the all-time great albums in American rock, soul, and jazz, chances are one name might be found on the back of almost every one: Tom Dowd--the secret behind five decades of brilliant music, an unsung hero, producer and recording pioneer. From the perfection of live mixing to the introduction of eight-track recording, the mythology of exactly how much impact Dowd has had is still up for grabs. His diverse and genuine love of work is remembered in part through intimate interviews with several musical icons and personal friends.

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official website

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 January 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

O Tom Dowd kai i glossa tis mousikis

Filming Locations:

Criteria Recording Studios - 1755 NE 149th Street, Miami, Florida, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,522, 15 August 2004, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$40,238, 29 August 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Language of Music Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Black and White Color

User Reviews

Solid Documentary

Tom Dowd & the Languange of Music is an excellent look at one of the key background people of popular music. Not only did Dowd make several technical innovations in the engineering field, he recorded some of the most important records of the 20th century. He worked with Tito Puente, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, Dusty Springfield, Rod Stewart, etc. I especially liked the interviews with giants such as Jerry Wexler, Ahmet Ertgun, Eric Clapton, Allman Brothers, Ray Charles, Les Paul, etc. Although sometimes the praise seems a little much at times, it is well deserved when you you see him work the board again.