The Greatest Ears in Town: The Arif Mardin Story is a 2010 documentary about the Grammy winning music producer Arif Mardin

Arif Mardin

Arif Mardin was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco, and country...

. The documentary was produced by his son Joe Mardin

Joe Mardin

Joe Mardin is a music producer, arranger and engineer from New York City. He is a Berklee College of Music graduate and is the son of producer Arif Mardin...

 and was directed by Doug Biro

Doug Biro

Doug Biro is an American writer/director/producer at his own company, Hudson River Films.In 2006 he directed and produced “Herbie Hancock: Possibilities”—a feature documentary about collaboration and the creative process...

. It was made in the years prior to Arif's death in 2006 from pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...

.

Synopsis

The documentary goes behind the scenes in the recording studio with Arif Mardin. It shows him working with artists such as Norah Jones

Norah Jones

Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...

 and Jewel

Jewel (singer)

Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...

. The documentary also features artists such as Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...

 and producers such as George Martin

George Martin

Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...

 reflecting on his life and career. It also explores his personality and humorous nature.

Release

The documentary was released on June 15, 2010. Upon its release, it was screened at several chapters of the Recording Academy

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...

. It was first screened in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 on the day of its release. After its premiere screening, a discussion about Arif Mardin followed. It was hosted by the Recording Academy's Producers and Engineers Wing. The discussion was moderated by Joe Mardin and panelists included Phil Ramone

Phil Ramone

Phil Ramone is a South-African violinist, composer, recording engineer, and record producer.-Biography:As a young child in South Africa, Ramone was a musical prodigy, beginning to play the violin at age three and performing for Queen Elizabeth II at age ten...

, Russ Titelman

Russ Titelman

Russ Titelman is an American record producer and songwriter. He has to date won three Grammy Awards. He earned his first producing the Steve Winwood song "Higher Love", and his second and third for Eric Clapton's Journeyman and Unplugged albums...

, Doug Biro, Jimmy Douglass

Jimmy Douglass

Jimmy Douglass is an American four-time Grammy winning recording engineer and record producer, whose prolific career has spanned more than four decades.-Career:...

, Michael O'Reilly and Frank Filipetti

Frank Filipetti

Frank Filipetti is a music producer, engineer and mixer who was born in Bristol, Connecticut. He was one of the first engineers to embrace digital...

. It later premiered at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, which featured a panel discussion with Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones

Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...

 and Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...

. It also premiered in Miami, which featured a panel discussion with Barry Gibb

Barry Gibb

Barry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...

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External links

• http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/06/producer-arif-mardin-celebrated-in-documentary-the-greatest-ears-in-town.html
• http://www.grammy365.com/gallery/new-york-premiere-screening-greatest-ears-town-arif-mardin-story-photos