On 24 August 2004, filmmaker Mark Moorman?s 90 minute documentary, Tom Dowd And The Language Of Music will be released on DVD. It is currently playing in select cinemas in the United States.
The independently produced film debuted at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and has been screened at festivals around the world. Seven years in the making, it profiles the life and work of a man whose career reflects the evolution of modern music and recording technology. The film takes the audience on a journey from Dowd?s early years in New York City, his work in physics on the Manhattan Project and his career-change to music recording. In his storied career, he produced and engineered numerous landmark recordings for artists as diverse as Cream, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Dizzy Gillespie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tito Puente, Jr., The Allman Brothers Band and Dusty Springfield.
Dowd?s story is told through the use of interviews with artists and record company executives, historical footage, photographs and music he recorded. The film opens with the Layla coda as Dowd enters Criteria Recording Studios in Miami. That studio is where Layla and numerous other ?classic? tracks were recorded under Dowd?s direction. Included is an August 1997 interview with Eric Clapton. In the film, Dowd revisits the recording of Derek & The Dominos? masterpiece, Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs. Having secured the use of the original 24 track sub-master of Layla, Dowd takes viewers through the creation of this landmark song by isolating the guitar tracks of Duane Allman and Eric Clapton.
Tom Dowd died on 27 October 2002, but this documentary serves as a fitting testament to his legacy.
PRESS RELEASE
THEATRICAL AND DVD RELEASE OF
TOM DOWD AND THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC
The film features appearances and music by:
Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk,
Allman Brothers Band and other legends
Palm Pictures is proud to announce the release to DVD of TOM DOWD AND THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC on August 24, 2004. Profiling the life and work of Tom Dowd, the legendary producer and recording engineer, the film was an Official Selection at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival and SXSW Film Festival. Hailed by Premiere Magazine as ?a compelling portrait of a man who lived to capture lightning in a bottle." The film will also have a nation-wide theatrical release in key U.S. markets beginning August 13, 2004.
The DVD special features will contain over 80 minutes of bonus footage, which include deleted scenes, 5.1 mix and interview clips with legends such as Eric Clapton, Ray Charles, and Phil Ramone among others.
TOM DOWD & THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC is a feature-length documentary profiling the life and work of a man whose personal history reflects the evolution of modern music and recording technology: legendary producer/ recording engineer Tom Dowd. A former Atlantic Records engineer responsible for some of the most important R&B, rock, and jazz records ever made, Dowd continues to impact the music industry with his influence on today's generation of musicians and producers. Interviews with recording industry icons tell the story of this humble genius, while historical footage, photographs and classic music tracks take the audience on the path of his life in the recording studio. It's here that Dowd, the unaffected master, recounts the recording sessions and technical achievements that altered the course of contemporary music.
Born on October 20, 1925, Tom Dowd had a background in physics, which led to his work on the Manhattan Project at Columbia University. After four years, Dowd applied his science background to the music industry, where he evaluated the logistics of recording music. Dowd helped modernize the recording industry by helping to introduce binaural stereo recording to Atlantic Records and later helped build the label's first eight-track console, years before even George Martin and The Beatles had a chance to use one.
Dowd has also been touted for helping to invent the genre of southern rock. He produced classic records for Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers and assisted in producing recordings for Dusty Springfield and Ray Charles, among others. Dowd also formed both a professional and personal relationship with Eric Clapton, which led to their working partnership on Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs and several of Clapton's solo albums. Dowd's other credits include: Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Cream, Rod Stewart, and countless other celebrated musicians.
Sadly, Tom Dowd passed away at the age of 77 on October 27, 2002 after losing the battle to his longtime respiratory illness. Though physically diminished at the end of his life, he continued to inspire musicians to create at the height of their powers. Dowd?s personal history is the soundtrack to so many of our lives. One could say he was merely in the right place at the right time. TOM DOWD & THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC proves that we are all much more indebted to his great talents and unique spirit than we can ever imagine.
Related links:
- thelanguageofmusic.com
- E-card
