ALL ABOUT THAT BASS - My Review of THE WRECKING CREW (4 Stars) Whether you grew up in the 60s/70s or if you're a fan of the classic music from that period, it's likely you'll treasure Denny Tedesco's loving, passionate, bittersweet documentary about the unsung heroes behind such recordings as "California Dreaming", "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelng", and "Be My Baby". Somewhat of a cousin to the Oscar-winning, "20 Feet From Stardom", Tedesco has been making this film since 1996 as a tribute to his late father, Tommy Tedesco, a guitarist with the group of West Coast session musicians who played on a jaw-dropping number of rock hits, movie and tv themes. Finally getting their due, the musicians reveal that they, and not the original members of such bands as The Beach Boys, did the lion's share of the playing. The list of songs is staggering and I spent most of my time viewing the film with my jaw decisively dropped and my toes tapping. More important than uncovering these music industry secrets, however, is the true passion for music on display here. These are musicians who loved to play, to discuss it, and in one extremely potent moment, Tommy says to his reunited group, "They put notes on paper. That's not music. You make the music". ...And what incredible music it is. The film dives in and out of the lives of some key players, interweaving a reunion roundtable with rare footage from the era and vibrant photos. I loved watching a very young Sonny and Cher make their way around the studios, these newbies facing a group of old pros. Brian Wilson looked truly inspired to record with the Crew, who unanimously loved working with this genius. Tommy is a great main character. He's energetic and hilarious in footage where he's talking to students or reminiscing with his old pals. Drummer Hal Blaine carries a lot of the pathos in the film with a heartbreaking riches to rags story. A couple of the members broke out into solo stardom, chief among them, Glen Campbell and Leon Russell. The lone female in the group, Carol Kaye, steals every moment she's on screen. Clearly a warm person who suffers no fools, she never once played the victim, assimilating herself into this boy's club because of her undisputed talent as a bass player. A highlight of the film is watching Carol show us the original, too-spare bass line to "The Beat Goes On" and then demonstrating how she added her own touches to make it unforgettable. Every so often we'll hear a musician play, for example, "The Pink Panther Theme" and then Tedesco will lay the finished track on top of that footage. It's a terrific way to show us their artistry and bring these invisible talents front and center with the songs that shaped so many lives. This isn't a perfect film, but it's a perfect experience. At times, the storytelling can duck down a few too many corridors, but it's an extremely minor complaint. The shaggy style constantly brings us gem after gem of music and lively reminiscences. Imagine turning a radio dial over and over and only hearing masterpieces and that describes the viewing pleasure of this film. The journey to get this film released has been arduous. I met Denny back in the 80s as we both worked in film production. Years later, he started talking about a documentary he was making to honor his father who was starting to get ill. Tommy, and many others, did not live to see the final product, which, after a successful film festival run, has been held up for years dues to music rights. We see many people who are either gone (Dick Clark is among them) or have mentally slipped away (Campbell), making this film that much more essential as a time capsule. There were times, however, that it looked like this film would never get the proper release it so richly deserves. But Tedesco persevered, raised the hundred of thousands of dollars needed to pay off the endless list of musicians, and 19 years later we have THE WRECKING CREW. His passion to tell this story about a group of very passionate people was well worth the wait and is a glorious homage to REAL talent.