On Tuesday, August 20, the Village Studios in West Los Angeles was the place to be as leading members of the Los Angeles recording community celebrated the music film Immediate Family (Magnolia Pictures), a documentary by Denny Tedesco, the acclaimed filmmaker behind The Wrecking Crew.
All five members of The Immediate Family band were in attendance, including acclaimed singer/songwriter/guitarists Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel and Steve Postell, and one of the most renowned rhythm sections in rock history, Russ Kunkel and Leland Sklar.
The evening began in the Village’s auditorium with director Tedesco welcoming the attendees, who then viewed a screening of the film, followed by David Wild, American writer and critic in the music and television industries, providing his insights on his love of the film and the music of the late ‘60s and ‘70s. Wild went on to introduce the multi-Grammy Award-winning producer Jimmy Jam, who moderated a lively question-and-answer segment with Tedesco, Kortchmar, Wachtel, Postell, Kunkel and Sklar.
The evening’s activities then moved into the legendary Moroccan Room, where The Immediate Family band took the stage and performed three original songs from the film such as “Somebody’s Baby” (written by Jackson Browne and Danny Kortchmar), Don Henley’s “Dirty Laundry” (written by Don Henley and Danny Kortchmar) and Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London” (written by Zevon, LeRoy Marinell and Waddy Wachtel).
“I’ve been blessed to attend many memorable events, but on this legendary evening I was at the only place on earth I wanted to be,” stated Jimmy Jam. “The Village was the perfect frame for the masterpiece of seeing and hearing my liner notes come to life. It was a blessing to share the stage and for a night be adopted into the ‘Immediate Family.’ This film is proof that music is the divine art, and we all need a little more heaven on earth.”
Immediate Family tracks the rise and collaborations of a group of legendary session musicians Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Russ Kunkel and Waddy Wachtel through the 1970s and onward, chronicling their illustrious partnerships and their formidable record of hit-making. Directed by Denny Tedesco, whose documentary The Wrecking Crew followed the first wave of studio musicians in the 1960s, the film reveals the machinery behind the booming era of the singer-songwriter, when the talents of these four musicians were in furious demand.
The foundations of their enduring friendship, formed on the road and in studios, is recalled with dynamite clarity—reminisced with fondness through intimate interviews with the guys themselves, as well as the memories of some of rock’s most iconic voices, including Carole King, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, Keith Richards, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Lyle Lovett, Phil Collins and others.
Since its release, Immediate Family has received numerous accolades and 18 awards from various film festivals around the country, including Audience Awards at the Woodstock Film Festival, Maui Film Festival and Tacoma Film Festival; Best Music Film Boulder International Film Festival; and scored a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Additionally the film won a prestigious 2023 Hollywood Music In Media Award (HMMA) in the category of Music Documentary-Special Program.
A Magnolia Pictures release, Immediate Family is available now on VOD platforms and streaming exclusively on Hulu.
