Heartwarming, interesting and colorful the documentary The Greatest Ears in Town: The Arif Mardin Story is now on DVD for home viewing. The tribute to this great man of music takes you on a journey that music lovers will never forget. Nicely filmed with never seen footage of music artists in the studio recording their tunes, this small token to this great man is a big piece of history.
The documentary follows Arif Mardin, a Turkish-American composer whose career started in Jazz and classical. Making a name for himself at Atlantic Records in those music genres, he worked with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones. After many years in the business he turned to pop music where he put The Rascals on the charts. Spreading his talent to rock, soul, disco and country Mardin composed for a mecca of singers including George Benson, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Chaka Khan, Phil Collins, Carly Simon, Willie Nelson, The Bee Gees and the list goes on.
He’s a highly awarded composer including 12 Grammys, over 50 platinum records and an award for a “Lifetime of Achievement in Music” by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Hit songs include Aretha Franklin’s “Until You Come Back to Me”, The Bee Gees’ “Jive Talkin” Bette Midler’s “The Wind Beneath My Wings” (for which she won a Grammy), Judy Collins’ “Send in the Clowns”, Phil Collins “Take a Look at Me Know” and more.
The direction by his son Joe Mardin and Doug Biro is very cautious not self serving, but handing the content with a soft touch. They introduce his past as the documentary plays out, including his wife of 50 years and his work with the greats in the Atlantic Records and Manhattan Records studios. Not over sentimental or mawkish, the film mesmerizes as it presents through Arif Mardin’s own words and story.
Music lovers of all genres should take notice of this nicely produced documentary for a slice of history that should amaze and bring back memories of a past steeped with the wonders of music. There’s 24 minutes of bonus materials that go into more depth, present interesting comments and show rare footage and photos.
Bonus Features:
- “Film Noir” Arif Mardin talks about film and how his music worked in that medium.
- “Mardinis, Tabloids, Turks & Doornobs” is a reverence to Arif and his works.
- “Separate Lives” features Phil Collins and Dough Morris
- “Lunch with Chaka Khan”
- “No Way Out”
- And more
The video quality with is very good considering most of the movie involves actual footage on personal cameras and live appearances. The editing is handled very nicely and the DVD format has a 1.78:1 aspect ratio that fits HD screens without those pesky bars top and bottom.
The audio is tight and plays well through my HD Television speakers and even better through my upgraded sound system. The only distortion comes during the conversations shot on amateur video or during public appearances which is to be expected.
Specifications and additional film information:
Cast: Arif Mardin
Director: Joe Mardin and Doug Biro
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, no offensive content noted
Genre: Documentary, Music
Running Time: 1 hour 43 min
Video Release Date: November 5, 2013
Original Film Release Date: June 15, 2010
Language: English
Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital
Video: 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: TDC Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
