Like Calle 54 and other "music as a journey documentaries" (Buena Vista included) this film plays as a homage to the actual musicians by letting them talk about their own experiences. The funk brothers make it all seem easy. What is revealed is that they played in all the clubs around Detroit almost continuously and so when in the studio they needed a new arrangement for a live take they could oblige in record time.
These guys were/are superb arrangers and ensemble players. It combines the concert movie with the documentary insights in a way that is kind to the era but leaves many other questions outstanding. Listening to a few of the solo's from the likes of Tom Scott and other visitors to the concert will make your heart soar. Gerald Levert and Ben Harper get the chance to really shine with the band from heaven. I hope this documentary gives the "brothers" the chance to reap some of the attention they so richly deserve.
These guys were/are superb arrangers and ensemble players. It combines the concert movie with the documentary insights in a way that is kind to the era but leaves many other questions outstanding. Listening to a few of the solo's from the likes of Tom Scott and other visitors to the concert will make your heart soar. Gerald Levert and Ben Harper get the chance to really shine with the band from heaven. I hope this documentary gives the "brothers" the chance to reap some of the attention they so richly deserve.