Tom Dowd Language Of Music Mark Moormann

Tom Dowd was a record producer and engineer whose work ranks alongside that of Phil Spector, George Martin and Daniel Lanois. Chances are you'll recall his name from the records of Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Cream, Aretha Franklin and Otis Redding. Dowd pioneered multi-track recording and was part of the Manhattan Project, which built the atomic bomb during World War Two. Mark Moormann's documentary is an entertaining chronicle of Dowd's career. The film flows with music, starting with the jazz of Atlantic Records circa 1947, and rocks right along like an Otis Redding tune. Moormann captures key interviews with Ray Charles, who reunites with Dowd in a touching scene, and Clapton, who recalls Dowd setting up the fateful meeting with the late Duane (???) Allman. Dowd himself is a vibrant personality, noted for encouraging the best out of his musicians. Dowd recalls the hour Coltrane used to spend warming up before a recording session, performing endless runs on his tenor saxophone while staying absolutely focused. The film's highlight is the Layla sequence, where Dowd takes us into the studio to isolate the original tracks from this immortal album. Though rich in detail, Moormann's film has some holes, particularly in Dowd's career post-1975. "We didn't have an icon to interview after Layla," explains Moormann at the Toronto International Film Festival. "To be frank, Rod Stewart wouldn't give us an interview." Also, the inter-cutting between Dowd's work for the Manhattan Project and his first studio recordings is a little awkward. Dowd died last year, but was satisfied with the rough cut. He should be. The film stands as a tribute to one of rock and soul's unknown legends, and will be enjoyed by music lovers. (Language of Music Films)