A fine companion piece to the recent CNN documentary Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago (VL-1/18), Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience approaches the subject from a far more personal angle, since it is written and directed by Michelle Kath Sinclair, the daughter of Chicago's original guitarist and musical mastermind, Terry Kath, who died in 1978 of a gun-related accident. Sinclair embarks on a journey here to get to know her father, talking with Kath's old compatriots in Chicago and his earlier bands; his widow, brother, and mother; and old friends and guitar-slinger peers such as Joe Walsh, Mike Campbell, and Jeff Lynne. Without saying so directly, the film certainly underscores the fact that Kath was not fully appreciated in his time as a guitar virtuoso, lead singer, or innovative composer (whose "Introduction" track on Chicago's first album was the most technically challenging music that drummer Danny Seraphine says he ever played). Interviews with people who knew Kath when he was trying to get a foothold in the music business recall his uncanny ability to pick up a song on first listening, and a memory is shared of a night that Jimi Hendrix called Kath the better musician. Throughout, Sinclair allows others to tell her dad's stories, backed by archival footage and old letters. And her search for her father's prized guitar—unseen for decades—becomes her own holy grail quest. Extras include bonus footage and a compilation of Kath's 8mm home movie footage with commentary. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience
(2017) 80 min. DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: $24.95. FilmRise (avail. from www.amazon.com). Volume 33, Issue 2
Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience
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