“We were called to be us.”
Taken from Immediate Family, truer words have yet to be spoken. Directed by Denny Tedesco, this film taps into the power of people behind the scenes. These are the many souls who help make history yet do so without pomp and circumstance.
Though immensely talented, these are the legends that most people don’t know.
Immediate Family tells the story of drummer Russ Kunkel, bassist Leland Sklar, and guitarist Danny Kortchmar and Waddy Wachtel, four legendary session musicians who helped define the music industry during the rock era of the 1970s. During the era of the singer/songwriter, these musicians helped bring iconic sounds like Phil Collins, James Taylor and Carole King to life.
Immediate Family is an intimate portrait of the music industry that cracks open the stories behind the stars. Although Tedesco incorporates news and interviews from a number of sources and rock legends, the primary foundation of the film remains the round table between band members. Almost always relegated to the background, they clearly relish the opportunity to step into limelight. Finally allowed to speak for themselves, Family provides many personal stories and insights into the music industry of the 70s and 80s that one simply doesn’t get to hear.
For the viewer, it’s a fascinating window into the music industry. For these veterans, it’s simply their life.
Whereas big names such as James Taylor and Phil Collins usually are the ones to receive the glory, it’s the session bands that help bring their music to life. For these artists, music may be their passion but many were simply trying to survive financially. For each one of these artists, the practical side of creation was just a matter of keeping one’s job, as opposed to forcing out their own content. (In fact, in some ways, they were workers on the assembly line of music history.) Never the draw themselves, fame was to remain elusive for many of these artists. Even so, their notoriety within the other members of the music community gave them the recognition that they deserved, making them indispensable to others.
In this way, Immediate Family reminds the viewer of the power of pieces. Infinitely talented performers themselves, their musical careers matter as much as those whose names are on the cover of the albums. Tirelessly worked to create rock classics, these ‘small parts’ are in no way to be judged by the size of their celebrity. Their stories may not be well known yet their contributions to music history remain essential. These artists were not called to have their name at the top of the marquee. Instead, they were simply called to ‘be themselves’.
And, Immediate Family recognizes that that too can be a beautiful thing.
Immediate Family is available on VOD on Friday, December 15th, 2023.
