by Larry Richman
March 22, 2008 8:50 PM

I attended the World Premiere of The Wrecking Crew on Tuesday, March 11 at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival. In this monumental achievement, director Denny Tedesco chronicles the musical history laid down by his legendary late father Tommy, as well as a group of studio musicians who, literally, were responsible for the soundtrack of our lives.

The Wrecking Crew is so moving that it's hard to contain my enthusiasm for this stunning documentary. To say that this film is long overdue would be an incredible understatement. It's hard to imagine anyone alive today who hasn't been affected by the people who are profiled in this documentary.

Tedesco was present for a Q&A following the screening, along with Hal Blaine and Don Randi. Blaine is the most prolific drummer in rock and roll history, having played on more hit records than any drummer in the rock era. He played on 40 Number 1 singles and 150 that made the Top Ten. He played on eight Grammy Award-winning Records of the Year, including an amazing run of seven in a row. Randi was part of Phil Spector's legendary Wall of Sound. Although schooled in classical music and leader of the fusion/crossover group Quest, he appeared on and wrote for a countless number of movie and television soundtracks, commercials, and albums of artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Frank Zappa, and The Beach Boys.

Earlier, I posted my review and chose The Wrecking Crew as one of my Top Picks of the festival..

Pictured (from left to right) are Hal Blaine, Don Randi, and Denny Tedesco.


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