Since we last Zoomed with them for an interview and article (in Issue 142, July 2021) , The Immediate Family has been busier than ever. A documentary on the band from film maker Denny Tedesco (son of guitarist and studio legend Tommy Tedesco) was distributed late last year by Magnolia Films and has been a critic’s darling, and has become a viral item shared widely among people who love music. Why? Because it tells an incredible tale.
Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel (guitar), Russ Kunkel (drums), and Leland Sklar (bass) are musicians who at the height of the 1970s and 1980s were the most sought-after session cats in the game. Not only did they play on more songs you know and love than you can number, they often did it alongside each other. Many of them played together so frequently they became known as The Section, and even released albums under that name. The film celebrates their talent and work, as much as their brotherhood and sense of “family.” With the addition of guitarist/songwriter Steve Postell, they became The Immediate Family.
Along with the film’s release came Skin in the Game via Quarto Valley Records, a follow-up to The Immediate Family’s self-titled 2021 debut record. It’s an electrifying rock ride that has connections to lower Manhattan that run deeper than the band’s Laurel Canyon roots, and proves that this fivesome still has so much more to share. While their contributions to artists like James Taylor, Carole King, Lyle Lovett, Jackson Browne, Stevie Nicks and more made those songs really sing, this “Family” outing is all about the band, what they’ve learned, what they like, and where they are headed as artists. And it rocks!
The Immediate Family, Skin in the Game, album cover. Photo by Jay Gilbert/Chris Schmitt – cover artwork by Brian Porizek.
We caught up with The Immediate Family to talk about the record, the state of the music business, where session players sit in this current climate, how record labels fit into the mix, and what the future looks like for rock and roll. As always, it’s an exchange that is driven by a collective who has seen it all, has great insight into where things are going, and finds a way to good-naturedly bust each other’s chops while still making points about music that hit hard and hit home.
As with our conversation with The Immediate Family in 2021, we decided to keep this in a video format where the energy that still drives their passion for playing can be relayed with sight and sound. Speaking with them is as much a gift as the music they helped make the soundtrack of our lives, and this exchange is no exception. Look for them later this year when they head back out on tour. But for now, hit “play” and enjoy one more great ride from this band of brothers.
All in the Family: Courtesy of Alan Kozlowski.
Header image courtesy of Jay Gilbert/Chris Schmitt. Seated: Danny Kortchmar, Waddy Wachtel, and Steve Postell. Standing: Russ Kunkel, Leland Sklar.
