Time to reconnect with your inner headbanger. Numero Group has just announced a box set chronicling the early heavy metal scene here in L.A.: "Bound For Hell: On The Sunset Strip." You can almost smell the Aqua Net. Produced by Adam Luksetich and Kevin Estrada, with audio transfers, sound restoration and mastering provided by your friends here at Osiris Studio (Joy Graves, Jordan McLeod and Michael Graves).
Bobby Owsinski talks with Michael Graves on the Inner Circle Podcast
Back in 2001 when I was trying to figure out what exactly a mastering engineer does, I read Bobby Owsinski’s excellent book, “The Mastering Engineer’s Handbook.” I pored over every word. It gave me a solid foundation for the craft of mastering and set me on the road to what I do now. Bobby also produces a well-respected podcast for music industry people (any fan of music will appreciate it too). This is me on that podcast talking about my career path and some of the tools and techniques I use.
New Blondie Box Set Announced
Here’s some good news: A Blondie box set is about to be released into the wild! And it is gorgeous. For the first time ever, Blondie’s first six albums and 4 LPs worth of bonus material are being given the deluxe box set treatment. Michael Graves had the honor of restoring and remastering every song on this set. Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 also marks the first time the band has approved new masters of their earlier work. Everyone involved in making this project happen really brought their best to the table. Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982 will be released on August 26, 2022 on Numero Group and UMC. More details to come.
Baked Tape
Vintage weed! Oh, the things you find in old tape boxes. We work with a lot of archival tapes here at Osiris Studio and sometimes you find a surprise. I feel bad for the person who misplaced this little gem back in 1974. I’m sure they were looking forward to spending some quality time with it.
More Hasaan Ibn Ali
Pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali was a local Philadelphia legend who had an impact on John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and many others. After the 2021 release of Ali’s once-thought-lost album, Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album and the resulting joy and praise from jazz fans worldwide, Omnivore Recordings releases a second Ali album of unreleased songs that will forever cement his legacy the history of jazz.
Retrospect In Retirement Of Delay: The Solo Recordings collects 21 informal solo recordings made by Alan Sukoenig and saxophonist David Shrier when they were students at the University of Pennsylvania in 1962. Produced by the team of Sukoenig, Lewis Porter, and Cheryl Pawelski, the 2-CD/Digital or 4-LP vinyl version set also features restoration and mastering by Michael Graves. As Richard Brody writes in The New Yorker Magazine, “It does more than put him on the map of jazz history—it expands the map to include the vast expanse of his musical achievement.”
Women of the Records
When recording technology came to India in 1902 with the Gramophone Company from London, across the country--North, South, East, West, it was women who embraced this nascent technology. Most of them belonged to the courtesan community--the Tawaifs and Devadasis. Circumventing the social taboos against recording and the logistical & creative challenges involved, these women bargained terms and conditions with European agents. In just 3 minutes that a 78 RPM Shellac could hold, they presented a concise portrait of an art form as improvisatory and expansive as Indian Classical Music. Their records catapulted Indian classical and folk music from the closeted confines of salons, temples, theaters and royal courts to global mass media. It made super stars of many of these women who also negotiated hefty fees from the recording companies. India was soon to emerge as one of the major markets for the fledgling international music industry. But soon the virulent Anti-Nautch campaign branded all performing women as prostitutes; their stories and names were rubbished away into the dustbins of history and purged from national and musical consciousness. This work is a tribute and an effort to recreate the stories, the lives, the magic and the music of these stellar pioneers, but for whose brave efforts, Indian music and the music industry would not be where it is today.
Produced by Dr. Vikram Sampath and Ricky Kej, this set is comprised of 43 songs all newly transferred, restored and mastered by Michael Graves.
It’s a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards were held virtually, so we had the unique experience of sitting on our living room couch while hearing our names called as we won this year’s GRAMMY Award for Best Historical Album. No red carpet, no tuxedos, no gowns, but it was still thrilling as ever. And because we were homebound, our dog, Otis, got to join in the celebration too!
The GRAMMY went to, Omnivore Recordings’, It’s Such A Good Feeling: The Best Of Mister Rogers. The album collects 23 songs from the beloved broadcaster (backed by long-time collaborator and pianist Johnny Costa, Carl McViker on bass, and percussionist Bobby Rawsthorne). Containing classics like “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” “You Are Special,” and the title track, this release also features five previously unissued tracks including the show’s original closer, “Tomorrow.” Along with myself, fellow GRAMMY recipients were producers Cheryl Pawelski and Lee Lodyga. The award show was held March 14, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA. and broadcast live on CBS.
Eventide Gear Club Podcast - Audio Restoration and Preservation edition
If you like listening to people talk about making new records from old records, this video is for you. The Eventide Gear Club podcast hosts, John Agnello (Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.) and Stewart Lerman (Patti Smith, St. Vincent) talk with Michael Graves (Osiris Studio - Hank Williams, Blondie, Big Star, Nina Simone), Steve Rosenthal (The Magic Shop - David Bowie, Woody Guthrie, Lou Reed), Steve Addabbo (Shelter Island Sound Studios - Suzanne Vega, Shawn Colvin, Bob Dylan), Cheryl Pawelski (Omnivore Recordings - Wilco, Aretha Franklin, Beach Boys, The Band), and Lance Ledbetter (Dust-to-Digital - Voices of Mississippi, Africa at 78 rpm, Art of Field Recording) about making historical records.
GRAMMY number three!
Thrilled to announce that I have one more GRAMMY Award as of last Sunday! Dust-to-Digital’s, Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris won for Best Historical Album and my specific GRAMMY was for the restoration and mastering work I did on the project. Fellow recipients were compilation producers April Ledbetter, Steven Lance Ledbetter and of course Bill Ferris.
This award is especially meaningful for me because of outstanding projects nominated with us in our category; Numero Group's, Any Other Way (Jackie Shane), Sony Classical's, A Rhapsody In Blue (Oscar Levant), Bear Family's, At The Louisiana Hayride Tonight and Battleground Korea: Songs and Sounds of America's Forgotten War. It's truly an honor to be nominated with all the talented people involved in these records.
Voices of Mississippi represents the culmination of Bill Ferris’ career as a folklorist, historian and advocate for Southern culture. In the press room after receiving his GRAMMY, Bill explained why he started documenting rural life in Mississippi
“I grew up on a farm in Mississippi. My family were the only whites there and as a child, I started going to a black church and learned the hymns. As I grew older, I realized there were no hymnals in the church and when the families were gone, the music would be gone.”
I’m happy that I was able to help Bill ensure that the music and stories of people who never thought they would be heard receive the attention they deserve.
Embed from Getty Images
(L-R) William Ferris, April Ledbetter, Steven Lance Ledbetter, Michael Graves at the 61st GRAMMY Awards, Feb 10, 2019.
(L-R) William Ferris, April Ledbetter, Steven Lance Ledbetter, Michael Graves at the 61st GRAMMY Awards, Feb 10, 2019.
Michael Graves on Storyophonic
Michael Graves sat down with the fine team over at Storyophonic to talk about his mastering technique and some of the projects he’s been fortunate enough to work on over the years with great record labels like: Dust-to-Digital, Omnivore Recordings and Ostinato Records. Also up for discussion is the GRAMMY nominated, Voices of Mississippi: Artists and Musicians Documented by William Ferris. Now streaming live on all podcast platforms including iTunes.