Big thumbs up

Tom Dowd was the producer/ sound engineer for the Allman Brothers Live at the Fillmore East. That alone is enough to earn him the eternal gratitude of every real fan of rock and roll. Dowd's career, however, spans decades and genres and may be unparalleled in the record business.

He did not work with every important artist of the post-war period, but he seemed to come close: Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd...

I just watched a remarkable documentary on Dowd and his career. It's one of the best pieces of non-fiction movie-making i've ever seen.

Tom Dowd had a genius for record-making and he was a true pioneer when it came to recording technology. What made him really special, though, is that he put those talents to work on behalf of the artists instead of his own legend. You can't watch the movie without being stunned by his self-effacement and generosity of spirit.