Music has power. Perhaps the most power of all comes from the music that we associate with our younger selves. It brings back unique feelings, vivid memories and memorized lyrics. For those of us of a certain age, this creative catalogue includes the music of James Taylor, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Phil Collins and many more. But how did their albums get recorded? And who were the studio musicians who created those memorable sounds that we can quickly recognize?

Well, it turns out that the group often included a varying combination of four talented artists: Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar (lead guitar), Russ Kunkel (drums), Leland Sklar (bass) and Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (rhythm guitar). This documentary shows how each one got started, how they met the singers and one another, and where their paths led them from that point on.

If the music of the 1970s and '80s still holds you, still moves you, and still flows through your bloodstream today, then you won't want to miss enjoying this film.

Four personal stories are masterfully woven into a united one by the use of archival footage and still images, interspersed with contemporary interviews with celebrities. The main list alone is impressive: James Taylor, Carole King, David Crosby, Keith Richards, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, Warren Zevon, Phil Collins, Lyle Lovett and Steve Jordan. (And it's both gratifying and bittersweet to see David Crosby talking on camera again. Alas, he just left us in January 2023.) Someone missing from this promotional list is producer Peter Asher, who additionally tells tales of interactions, meetings and recording sessions. It was Peter's choice to list the names of everyone involved in the recordings in print, right on the album covers. As these studio musicians' credits became known, they got more offers to record more often. Just being known was the key. (I am reminded that voice actor Mel Blanc tells a similar story in his book, That's Not All, Folks!". Once Warner Brothers agreed to start listing his name in Looney Tunes cartoon credits, more opportunities were aimed in his direction.) Many "then and now" moments occur here, both musically and visually. And as can happen naturally, the studio musicians would soon turn into touring musicians, who then also would sometimes advance into becoming songwriters and producers themselves.

At the same time, as the 1970s segued into the 1980s, the music scene entered a transitional time. New technologies brought new sounds and new methods of creating those sounds. Musicians either found a way to adopt or adapt; or, they didn't, and they were left behind. These four musicians embraced what was happening and kept on ticking. Immediate Family ends up offering a valuable and entertaining lesson in rock music history. These folks were in the middle of it.

Today the members of this quirky quartet, now in their early 70s, have been joined by long-time fan and guitarist Steve Postell. Together they record and perform on their own as The Immediate Family. One of their signature numbers, "Skin in the Game," is heard near the end of the film.

Immediate Family was directed by Denny Tedesco, who also brought us The Wrecking Crew. That film documented the work of the largely uncredited musicians who preceded these guys in the recording studios during the 1950s and '60s. Denny's father Tommy numbered among that group.

It dawns on me that I have seen members of The Immediate Family in concert, myself. Most notably: Kootch, Lee and Russ accompanied Carole King and James Taylor on their Troubadour Reunion Tour in 2010. I sure wish now that I had paid even more attention to what was happening on the stage that night in Boston. Can we go back in time and do it all over again?

I cannot praise and recommend Immediate Family highly enough. The film is everything you want in a musical retreat to our favorite music and to our favorite decades. It gives credit where credit is due, to the "other" people who made the music. Be sure to seek out the numerous teasers and extra interviews that have been posted online, too. The stories continue. The music lives on. Many thanks to everyone who brought us this fabulous retrospective! You provided the soundtracks to our daily lives. Now we can understand it even better.