Tom Dowd and the Language of Music

A partial list of some of the records produced and/or engineered by Tom Dowd would include Aretha Franklin's “Respect,” Otis Redding's “Try a Little Tenderness,” The Allman Brothers Band at Fillmore East, and Derek and the Dominos' Layla, not to mention countless vinyl platters by the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, etc. What makes Mark Moorman's documentary worth watching, however, is not simply what Dowd did, but what he was: a thoroughly engaging fellow, an entertaining raconteur, and a musical legend who was not merely respected but beloved by nearly everyone who crossed his path. Born in 1925, Dowd trained as an atomic physicist (he was even involved in the Manhattan Project) before turning full-time to music, and the story of his career is a timeline of both Atlantic Records (for whom he worked for some 50 years) and the recording process itself. Dowd was in the studio before the invention of magnetic tape, when records were cut “direct-to-disc”; he was there when stereo, multi-tracking, and overdubbing became standard tricks of the trade; and he was still at it when tape became passé and digital recording took over. Tom Dowd and the Language of Music is not full of a lot of music--just excerpts from the rock, jazz, soul, and other classics he worked on--but the way people like Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers, the late Ray Charles, and legendary music men such as Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun talk about him, you'll know that Tom Dowd, who died in 2002, will be sorely missed. DVD extras include deleted scenes and additional interview clips. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)