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From one perspective, Paul Justman’s documentary on the Funk Brothers, the backup players who were heard on all the greatest hits produced by Motown Records in the 1960s and 1970s, represents a culturally significant event–the recovery from undeserved obscurity of a group of artists who were largely responsible for creating a sound that pretty much defined a whole generation of American popular music. (To quote the press material, the Funks performed on more #1 records than the Beatles, the Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley combined.) But to talk about “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” simply in those terms would be unfortunate; it would make the picture sound like a history lesson, something that’s good for you. And what’s really important is that it’s, quite simply, a joy to watch and– especially–to listen to. Anyone who leaves it without a spring in his step probably just can’t hear at all.

The picture is based on the 1989 book by Allan Slutsky, which centered the story on James Jamerson, the late bassist recognized for the unique style he developed on the instrument–a style which in a sense represented the innovative quality that characterized the brilliantly creative work done in Berry Gordy’s famous Studio A in Detroit during its heyday. Justman combines a variety of techniques to depict the Motown phenomenon as a whole: they include thumbnail sketches of the individual musicians, interviews with those who survive, visits to the sites where the music was performed, and historical recreations. The results are skillfully integrated, but what ties everything together are new versions of some of the best-known Motown songs, performed by the Funks (along with guys sitting in for the deceased members) and featuring a slew of contemporary “guest” singers (Ben Harper, Joan Osborne, Meshell Ndegeocello, Montell Jordan, Chaka Khan, Gerald Levert and Bootsy Collins). These are used to punctuate the story, carry it along and express, in the most direct possible way, the genius of the whole enterprise.

The result is a film that expresses the spirit of the classic Motown style while finally giving credit where credit is due. It offers a slew of great music and, without becoming heavy-handed or schmaltzy about it, recognizes the talent of the hitherto faceless and forgotten instrumentalists whose contributions may ultimately have been more important to the label’s success than those of its famous singers. There are times during the picture that one might ask for more historical context, or for a more thorough analysis of the purely business side of the Mowtown operation, or for some treatment of Gordy, who becomes an almost peripheral figure here. But what “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” does, it does extremely well. And that will satisfy most of us quite nicely.