Michael McDonald - A Gathering of Friends (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a major Michael McDonald fan. I've got most everything he's contributed to. So when I saw this DVD I was excited to get it. While I see what they were going for here, the ultimate product is pretty weak. It's basically concert footage of a "pay tribute to Michael" night. The show consists entirely of pairings of Michael with other singers. In most of these the other singer is the one featured, not Michael and oddly they pick tunes that Michael didn't write either.
Jeff Bridges is the MC and while he's a great actor, this guy should never, never sing in public. He's given the stage for an entire number and that's a sore spot for me because one of my complaints is that this DVD contains too few tracks.
The best part of the DVD is the two tunes that Michael does with the Doobie Brothers. Here, he is finally featured as is his songwriting. But the thing that's totally missing from the DVD is anything from his solo efforts, which to me is, along with his Doobie work, his best stuff. "You Belong To Me" a tune written by Michael and recorded by both Carly Simon and the Doobie Brothers is an exception, but he doesn't sing it!
He struggles through two tunes with Kenny Loggins, who again is a great artist, but the numbers are under-rehearsed.
Adding a final annoyance to the show is Soap-Star-Come-Sax-Player Dave Koz, who steps out in "You Belong To Me" doing his best, in typical Dave Koz fashion, to upstage the other musicians. His body language is as corny as his banal sax playing. Oh, and Dave, the song's over, you can stop playing now. The contrast of Koz's live performance and Dave Sanborn's original on that tune is sad.
Moreover, I'd spend your money on Michael's solo CD's. You'll get so much more Michael for your money.
PS. I'm remaining annoymous on this one because I know several of the musicians in this production.

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Filmed at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, friends and admirers of Michael McDonald came together to pay homage to the man and his music. No stranger to recognition, the five-time Grammy Award winner's particular brand of "blue-eyed soul" produced a series of chart-topping hits. As a member of the Doobie Brothers and a successful solo artist, Michael McDonald's distinctive baritone vocals are instantly recognizable to fans worldwide. Songs: On My Own (with Patti LaBelle), No Love to Be Found (with Wendy Moten), Holy City (with Edwin McCain), All I Need (with Tommy Sims), Ride Like the Wind (with Christopher Cross), She Lay Her Whip Down (with Jeff Bridges), Ya Mo Be There (with James Ingram), Maria (with James Ingram & David Pack), You Belong to Me (with Patti Austin), Heart to Heart (with Kenny Loggins), This Is It (with Kenny Loggins), Minute By Minute (with The Doobie Brothers), Takin' It to the Streets (with The Doobie Brothers).

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