On Friday night, a Spazju Kreattiv audience was treated to the premiere of Strait Street to Abbey Road, a new documentary tracing the life of arguably Malta’s most prominent drummer, yet one whose story has gone untold – until now.
Tony Carr, born George Caruana, is one of the few survivors of a group of musicians who laid the groundwork for Malta’s thriving jazz scene, and who went on to carve out an impressive career in the UK playing for some of the biggest names in musical history.
From early days playing to crowds of sailors in Valletta, Carr would go on to perform alongside legendary figures including Ella Fitzgerald, Paul McCartney, Dizzy Gillespie, Tom Jones, Cliff Richards, and many others – a remarkable story brought to life in this compelling new film.
Opening with an interview and some drumming from Carr, the story begins in the harrowing days of World War II amid the destroyed and burned-out buildings of Valletta. While seeking refuge from Nazi bombs in Malta’s network of air raid shelters, Carr struck up a friendship with pianist Frank Camilleri, known affectionately to his friends as ‘Bibi’.
Together, the pair cut their teeth performing in bars on Strait Street, the heart of Valletta’s nightlife referred to in the film as “an escape from the war’s harsh realities”.
It was there that Carr’s musical journey began, the film expertly capturing the chaos and opportunities of that time through anecdotes from the master drummer and other Maltese musicians including the late saxophonist Sammy Murgo.
In one such instance, Camilleri was forced to hide behind a piano to avoid police checking for unlicensed artists.
Camilleri’s grandson, percussionist Ġużè Camilleri – also known as ‘Bibi’ after his grandfather and father – interviewed Carr and others for the documentary.
“My grandfather, Frank Camilleri, planted the seed for me to discover Tony Carr. When I visited him, he would first show me videos of jazz greats on VHS and then share stories about his friend,” he said.
Thanking supporters of the film and those involved in its production, Camilleri said he was “especially grateful to Tony Carr for shedding light on our local culture by sharing his invaluable stories with us”.
Describing the film’s production, director and producer Cedric Vella explained how visual elements including photographs, some enhanced by AI (artificial intelligence), were fused with music from different eras shown in the film.
“This combination allowed us to create a narrative that brings Tony’s experiences to life, from local scenes to international studios,” he said.
And the documentary does exactly that – with early wartime footage of Valletta gradually giving way to neon-lit London streets and, later, images of Carr alongside pop legends at the iconic Abbey Road studios.
In telling Carr’s remarkable musical journey, the film also touches on broader themes, including the wave of immigration from Malta to London in the 1950s and the role of the Maltese mafia in the UK capital’s Soho district.
It also captures episodes of Malta’s musical history that might otherwise have been forgotten, such as when musicians banded together to try to limit performing hours after countless nights being forced to play into the early morning to satisfy the whims of British naval officers.
While Carr’s career was undoubtedly remarkable, it was not without its difficulties and the film does not shy away from them – touching on periods of time without work and denied opportunities, as well as a moment of profound homesickness when recording Mary Rose Mallia’s album Songs from Malta in London.
But despite some low moments, the impressive scope and success of Carr’s career in jazz, pop music and film-score recordings are clear – as is the respect he garnered from across the industry.
In one clip, a BBC presenter describes Carr as one of “the best rhythm men in this country [UK]”, while in another, British composer John Cameron says: “There were plenty of session drummers around, but there was only one Tony Carr.”
One of Carr’s career peaks was when he was summoned to Abbey Road studios to record alongside John Paul Jones of Led Zepplin, Denny Laine of Wings and John Bonham from Led Zeppelin as part of McCartney’s ‘Rockestra’ supergroup.
Reflecting on his career, Carr describes London’s session recording scene at the time as “unbelievable” while revealing humility and gratitude for his experiences.
“It’s the best thing I did... musically, it went honestly much more than I expected in life.”
Strait Street to Abbey Road will be shown on Smash TV later this year, with future screenings planned in the coming months. To find out more, visit Sugu.tv. The film’s production was supported by Arts Council Malta.