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