Immediate Family

Just when I thought no one could top "The Wrecking Crew," along comes its creator - Tedesco - and does it, anyway! Waddy Wachtel, Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar and Russ Kunkel, THE Primo Session musicians of the 1970's, take you back to that simpler time (in our 20s?) and all that fantastic music they created. Yeah, the "stars" had a *little* something to do with it, but these maestroes of the guitar, bass, keybord and drums put in much more than is revealed in to liner notes. This film does NOT get bogged down in sentimentaliy, though. It's true, up front, in-yo-face REAL. Can't go wrong with that! You will enjoy 140 minutes of pure bliss with this one!

Dude - can these guys ever really understand the gifts they have given the world? A good hour of this doc is just sitting there hearing hit after hit that these guys have played on. If you were born in the 60's, grew up in the 70's and were unleashed on the world in the 80's - these guys played on the soundtrack of your life. Ronstadt, Zevon, Jackson Brown, Neil Young, Carol King, and on and on and on... I grew up listening to Excitable Boy and James Taylor's JT and Running on Empty and a hundred other songs and albums these guys played on. I recognize the names Waddy Wachtel, Russ Kunkel, Danny Kortchmar, and Leland Sklar from a hundred album covers that I had as a kid. What a treat to see them, meet them, hear their stories, feel their comradery and - most importantly - bask in the music of their (and my) life. This movies shines a spotlight on these talented men and women and moves them from sidemen to frontment... and we are all richly rewarded by it. Not a dull moment to be found.

Documentary filmmaker Denny Tedesco's worthy follow-up to his "The Wrecking Crew!" from 2008--spotlighting the unsung session musicians of the '50s and '60s--forges onward through the Singer/Songwriter era (James Taylor, Carole King, etc.), which brought forth a new wave of musicians who helped make the headliners shine. Guitarist Danny 'Kootch' Kortchmar, bearded bassist Leland Sklar, drummer Russ Kunkel, guitarist Waddy Wachtel and guitarist Steve Postell reminisce about their humble beginnings, their childhood interests in music, their breakthroughs in '70s Los Angeles, and the iconic songs they helped create. If the amiable personalities involved aren't as dynamic as the group from "The Wrecking Crew!", that's all right because the music is almost as strong. Celebrities including Taylor, King, Phil Collins, David Crosby, Stevie Nicks, Lyle Lovett, Don Henley, Linda Ronstadt, Keith Richards, and Jackson Browne are warmly affectionate towards their friends without telling any tales out of school, and the whole thing goes down very smoothly and with a big smile. *** from ****

This film places you at the table and in the studio with the musicians that defined an entire era in popular music. Immediate Family is brimming with talent, intimacy, fellowship, laughter, tears and the genuine warmth that flows among professionals truly and undeniably committed to their profession. As with Denny's love letter to his dad and the remarkable 60s era musicians profiled in his previous documentary, The Wrecking Crew, Immediate Family brings us up close and personal with the craftsmen that succeeded them into the following two decades. These players are all master musicians and performers whose contributions to American music simply can't be overstated. It's an educational and inspiring journey worthy of the viewer's respect and admiration. Enjoy the ride!

Denny Tedesco delivers again. This time, his film beautifully explains the nuances that allowed this group of gifted musicians to become the worst kept secret among the 1970s and 80s music industry. Unlike the era the Wrecking Crew worked in, by the early 70s the musicians who recorded the album got listed on the album. And so brilliance could be discovered.

Kootch Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Waddy Wachtel became the sound of the seventies, playing both on the albums and on the road with Carole King, James Taylor, Stevie Nicks, Phil Collins, Jackson Browne, Don Henley and many more. Their unselfish, humble approach as well as desire to make the best song possible endeared them to the stars they worked with, and made stars of themselves over time.

Incredibly, their time working with and around each other bound them into a close friendship, which endures to today (along with late comer Steve Postell). A wonderful story beautifully told. Fun to see at a theatre to see everyone smiling and swaying to all the great music!