Movie Review
A loving tribute to a master of the mixing board

By Ted Fry
Special to The Seattle Times

Producer and engineer Tom Dowd worked with greats including Eric Clapton and Ray Charles.

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If legendary pop-music producer and engineer Tom Dowd had the same knack for composition as he had for manufacturing brilliant music from behind a studio mixing board, he might have become as well known as Quincy Jones.

As it is, this gregarious genius of the record business remained merely a behind-the-scenes hero to industry honchos and artists that ranged decades and included top names — from Ray Charles, John Coltrane and Aretha Franklin to Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers Band.

Filmmaker Mark Moormann guides this affable and hugely entertaining biography with a confident visual style. He spices up the chronological tale with lovely interview segments (presumably documented shortly before Dowd's death in late 2002), some terrific vintage footage of Dowd's work in the studio, the familiar Ken Burns-ish use of pan-and-scan still photos and a few re-created period events.

Atlantic Records founders Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler are among the many who appear as part of the Tom Dowd fan club. They remember his tremendous technical savvy and gift for finding hit music.

Movie review Showtimes ***½ "Tom Dowd", a documentary directed by Mark Moormann. 90 minutes. Not rated, suitable for mature audiences. Grand Illusion.

Dowd faithfully captured pop renderings from the Coasters, the Drifters, Bobby Darin and the like by day, then stayed up all night securing the one-take brilliance of innovators such as Thelonius Monk, Ornette Coleman and Charles Mingus.

A gracious and articulate Eric Clapton gives Dowd credit that's practically equal to the musicians' for providing the music of Cream and Derek and the Dominos its classic status. In one cross-cut sequence, Clapton and Dowd recall how Duane Allman came to be a part of the classic guitar segment of "Layla," which Dowd then deconstructs for us in a live remix. With expert hands flying across a mixing board ("They played notes that weren't even on the instruments!") he brims with the joy that obviously flooded through everyone he encountered across his storied career.

One of the most poignant moments comes when Dowd makes a surprise appearance during an interview with his old friend Ray Charles. With fondness and awe flowing both ways, Charles sums up the legacy of Dowd's authoritative impact by remembering a rhetorical question he once asked during a session, "What does it sound like, baby?" Even though Charles didn't need an answer, he probably got the same one that was there on Dowd's merry face — a gentle nod and great big grin.

Ted Fry: tedfry@earthlink.net

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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