Michael Graves

And Michael Graves himself! Michael is a multiple GRAMMY-Award winning mastering engineer. Working with clients worldwide, he is one of the foremost audio restoration and re-mastering specialists working today, earning 5 GRAMMYs and 14 GRAMMY nominations. His main focus is historical audio that now resides on deteriorating or obsolete media. His work has often been compared to that of an archaeologist because of Michael’s similarly painstaking process of cleaning and restoring old and often damaged archival material. Michael first became interested in audio restoration after receiving an early CD recorder as a gift in 1998. In the course of digitizing some rare records in his vinyl collection, he discovered the possibilities of digital audio restoration. In 2002, Michael founded Osiris Studio, initially working with private collectors to digitize and restore their music collections, then later with institutional archives and record labels. Since then he has established himself as a top tier mastering engineer, mastering hundreds of albums from a wide variety of musical genres with clients around the world. He works with such record labels as Omnivore Recordings, Numero Group, Analog Africa, Candid Records, Dust-to-Digital, Rhino Records, Ostinato Records, and Discodelic. With those labels he has mastered recordings by Hank Williams, Blondie, Ray Charles, Big Star, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo, Richard Hell, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Charles Mingus, Nina Simone, Erroll Garner, Buck Owens, Bobby Rush and many others. Beyond his studio work, Michael enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with fellow engineers and music enthusiasts. He is affiliated with the Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) and the Audio Engineering Society (AES). He is also a board member and technical advisor to The Dust-to-Digital Foundation, an organization dedicated to the preservation of large, rare 78 rpm collections. Additionally, Michael is a member of The Recording Academy, and The Recording Academy's Producers & Engineers Wing. He has also served multiple terms on the Board of Governors in Atlanta and Los Angeles. 📸: @gregallen_gapd

For those of you that are new here, or maybe some of you that have been around but need a refresher, we would like to reintroduce ourselves! Starting with Osiris Studio itself: Osiris Studio is a globally recognized, multi-Grammy Award-winning mastering studio founded by Michael Graves. With studios in Los Angeles and Nashville, we provide mastering, audio restoration and preservation services. Any genre, any era, from any region of the world; since 2002, we have helped define the sound of historical recordings. We work with independent and major record labels that focus on historical recordings including Omnivore Recordings, Numero Group, Analog Africa, Candid Records, BMG, Dust-to-Digital, Rhino Records, Exceleration Music, Ostinato Records, Craft Recordings, Discodelic, First and Last Records and many others. Osiris Studio has restored and/or mastered projects from a diverse group of artists, including Hank Williams, Blondie, Ray Charles, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo, The Continental Drifters, 7 Seconds, Wilco, Little Richard, Soul Asylum, Mister Rogers, Janis Joplin, The Muffs, The Staples Singers, Jonathan Richman, Idaho, Van Dyke Parks, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Big Star, Richard Hell, Joni Mitchell, Vince Guaraldi, The Zombies, Laraaji, Nina Simone, Erroll Garner, Aretha Franklin, Dr. John, Gene Clark, Jan and Dean, Buck Owens, Charles Mingus, and many more. We have also mastered compilations focused on specific subjects and regions of the world such as, Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos, Music of Morocco: Recorded by Paul Bowles 1959, Excavated Shellac: An Alternate History of the World’s Music, Sweet As Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa, Synthesizing the Silk Roads: Uzbek Disco, Tajik Folktronica, Uyghur Rock & Tatar Jazz from 1980s Soviet Central Asia, Changüí – The Sound of Guantánamo, Jambú e Os Míticos Sons Da Amazônia, The Soul Of Baltimore: The Ru-Jac Records Story 1963–1980, Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll, Longing for the Past: The 78 RPM Era In Southeast Asia, Greek Rhapsody: Instrumental Music From Greece 1905-1956, and many others. 📸: @gregallen_gapd

Next, meet Jordan McLeod! A 3x GRAMMY nominated mastering engineer and audio restoration specialist working alongside Michael Graves. Based in Nashville, Jordan is a graduate of Virginia Tech and Icon Collective College of Music in Los Angeles. His music career started by following two paths as both an artist and freelance mixing engineer. While writing, producing, and mixing his own music under the project Years of Youth, he also helped artists bring their musical vision to life by assisting with co-production and mixing. His first studio experience came from interning at The Fab Factory recording studios in North Hollywood, where he gained valuable hands-on experience as well as frequently sitting in with legendary engineer Dave Pensado. While living in Los Angeles, Jordan joined Osiris Studio initially to help with media preservation and digitization in early 2020. During this period, he worked with recordings and assets from numerous artists, estates, record labels and archives such as The Leonard Cohen Archive, Metallica, Tupac Shakir, The Band, Aretha Franklin, Buck Owens, Omnivore Recordings, The Stax Museum Archives, Numero Group, and many more. Jordan quickly became familiar with handling and transferring a wide variety of current and obsolete audio formats. Soon after, under the guidance of Michael Graves, he began learning the craft of audio restoration and mastering. Since 2023, Jordan and Michael have worked closely on almost every project that has come through the studio. Jordan has restored and mastered hundreds of songs, becoming an integral part of the Osiris team and right-hand to Michael. His work can be found on labels such as Numero Group, Analog Africa, Omnivore Recordings, and Guerssen Records. 📸: @gregallen_gapd

OUT NOW: Dr. John - Live At The Village Gate via @omnivorerecordings . A previously unissued performance from 1988 by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee featuring tracks from across his storied career. ⚪️ Restored and Mastered here by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio From Omnivore Recordings: “Mac Rebennack, widely known as Dr. John, changed the course of popular music starting with his 1968 debut, Gris Gris and pushed it further with each new album, infusing his recordings with exciting new directions and influences while throwing off hits like “Right Place, Wrong Time” and “Such A Night” in his wake. We are fortunate that the music continued to pour out of him until the world lost him in 2019—five decades after we’d first been hoodood. The Estate of Dr. John and Omnivore Recordings are pleased to present Live At The Village Gate, a previously unheard performance (unless you were lucky enough to be there), recorded on the evening of March 5, 1988. The set features classics like “Mess Around,” “Georgia On My Mind,” and “Mardi Gras Day”—and even a crowd request for “Mama Roux” from his aforementioned debut album, Gris Gris—all, of course, played to perfection. With mastering and restoration by multiple Grammy-winning engineer Michael Graves, Live At The Village Gate also includes new and informative line notes from The Second Disc’s Joe Marchese. It’s over 90 minutes of prime, live Dr. John, and as he says, “Let The Good Times Roll.” Experience Live At The Village Gate.”

OUT NOW: Eldritch Anisette - Complete Fairytales via @thenumerogroup . ⚪️ Mastered here by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio ⚪️ Restored by Jordan McLeod From Numero Group: “Female fronted emo from the First State. Only 100 miles from D.C., Delaware enjoyed no immunity to emo. Wilmington’s Jade Tree held down the state’s first entries, foisting a 7” and album by label co-founder Darren Walters’ Railhed project onto unsuspecting Swiz and Universal Order of Armageddon customers. Railhed drummer Nick Rotundo played a key role in the shadow of the Twelve-Mile Circle, setting up Clay Creek Recording Studio in his wood-paneled Newark home and documenting local heroes Boysetsfire, Clevinger, and Network 34 in the process. “Without Nick, there would be no punk scene,” Eldritch Anisette bassist Marc Krupanski said. “He was an anchor in our fucked-up family of misfits and punks.” They called themselves The Enoch Collective, a group of young adults putting on $4 shows at VFW halls, churches, and Girls Inc. locations. Named by an awkward marriage of H.P. Lovecraft’s Eldritch Tales and the aniseed Mediterranean liqueur, Eldritch Anisette formed in spring 1996 when members of Clevinger and Network 34 showed the elasticity of adolescence. Singer Courtney Miller and guitarist Allen Hitchens were old enough to drink, while the rhythm section of Krupanski and drummer Tim Nichols had just gotten their licenses. That age gap is heard in the band’s varied influences, from Samiam to screamo, Samuel to The Sundays. “My biggest writing influences at the time were Harriet Wheeler and Tori Amos,” Miller said. “The subjects they explored felt really relatable and in some cases challenged me to feel more comfortable with putting work out there that was sometimes thematically difficult.” In winter ’97, they booked time at Clay Creek and spent two days tracking their six-song oeuvre, at a cost of $100. “Suckerpunch,” “Pessimism Goes To Work,” and “Dissection of Silence” were selected for a 7”, the others relegated to a DAT Rotundo held onto for safekeeping. The band deteriorated shortly after the record’s spring ’97 release.”

OUT NOW: Zig Zag Band - Chigiyo Music Kings 1987-1998 on @analogafricarecords ⚪️ Mastered here by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio ⚪️ Restored here by Jordan McLeod From Analog Africa: In 2002, I traveled to Zimbabwe with my friend Marc, who said the highlight of our month-long record safari was discovering the Zig-Zag Band. I was immersed in Chimurenga at the time and didn’t fully grasp it. Twenty years later, on another trip with Volkan, he said the same thing: of everything we’d found, Zig-Zag stood out most. Two decades apart, same conclusion. I had to listen again. During long Harare nights, I dove into their catalog and quickly fell in love. At the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, archivist Daniel Marire explained that what I was hearing wasn’t reggae, but Chigiyo — a Zimbabwean style rooted in Shona culture. The chants draw from tradition, and the guitars mirror mbira scales. It’s reggae, but distinctly local. Wondering how reggae audiences would respond, I sent tracks to Magrão, a São Paulo DJ steeped in Jamaican music. As late-night ballistics tests thundered from the nearby police lab, I waited. His reply was instant: heavy basslines, explosive fusion of reggae, dancehall, and traditional elements. “Release it.” I soon learned all original members but one had passed away. The sole surviving founder, guitarist Gilbert Zvamaida, shared stories over WhatsApp of touring Zimbabwe in the early 1980s, as the country forged its post-independence identity. Formed in Kwekwe under Robson Kadenhe’s mentorship, Zig-Zag blended reggae, traditional rhythms, brass, and mbira-inspired guitar into what became known as Chigiyo, named after a dance from Chimanimani. They backed Oliver Mtukudzi on the Wavona LP before breaking through with 1987’s “Gomo Ramasare.” Their debut Child Survival/Chigamba and later releases — including 1991’s Mudzimu Mukuru — cemented their legacy. The title track became one of Zimbabwe’s most covered songs. Now based in the U.S. and performing with Thomas Mapfumo’s Blacks Unlimited, Zvamaida carries the torch. This compilation revives Zig-Zag Band’s groundbreaking work, celebrating a vibrant, overlooked chapter of Zimbabwean music.

I had a great conversation with Lawrence Peryer on The Tonearm Podcast. We talk about my origin story, why I’m drawn to this work, and some of the recordings I’ve been fortunate to work with (Stax Records, Chris Bell, Leonard Cohen, Blondie, Johnny Mercer, Alan Lomax and more). We also go pretty deep on my philosophy of audio restoration and mastering—and the ethics that come with it. Catch the full episode wherever you enjoy listening to podcasts!

OUT NOW: NRBQ - Grooves In Orbit via @omnivorerecordings . NRBQ’s 1983 classic and sole release on the Bearsville label returns with 7 bonus tracks. ⚪️ Mastered here by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio From Omnivore Recordings: “NRBQ’s 1983 classic and sole release on the Bearsville label returns! The album has been remastered, includes new liner notes and boasts seven bonus tracks making this edition the definitive version of Grooves In Orbit Founded in 1966 in Louisville, Kentucky, NRBQ has given their dedicated fan base decades of great recordings and exceptional live shows in countless festivals, clubs, colleges, and concert halls. No style of music is safe around NRBQ—their first Columbia album, for example, ranged from Eddie Cochran to Sun Ra and their own diverse compositions have been covered by artists including Bonnie Raitt, Dave Edmunds, She And Him, Steve Earle, Los Lobos, and Widespread Panic. There are very few bands that have lasted for half a century, and the list of those that are still at the top of their creative game is even smaller. The album features seven bonus tracks including previously unheard songs, the Captain Lou Albano Grooves In Orbit promo spot, and alternate versions of “Hit The Hay” and “12 Bar Blues” plus an instrumental version of live favorite “Smackaroo.” Additionally, it includes contributions from Whole Wheat Horns, a version of Johnny Cash’s “Get Rhythm” (always a live favorite) and a chain saw (handled by NRBQ crew member Phil Collison)! Remastered by Michael Graves of Osiris Studio in Los Angeles, with liner notes by Q scribe John DeAngelis, this new edition is certain to set your Grooves In Orbit!”

OUT NOW: Change - The Glow Of Love via @omnivorerecordings . The expanded reissue of the 1980 disco/soul classic from “the Italian Gamble & Huff.” ⚪️ Mastered here by Jordan McLeod at Osiris Studio From Omnivore Recordings: “Goody Music Production introduced their sound in 1978 with the intention of conquering the U.S. market. Commenting on the unusual fusion of Italian musicians with American vocalists, Billboard noted “Despite its foreign origins, the use of lots of horns and conga rhythms take this away from the cookie cutter Eurodisco mold and give it character. The mix is smoother than most, and there’s a tendency towards soul throughout.” Recording for what would become The Glow Of Love began in November of 1979. Its first single, “A Lover’s Holiday,” featured vocals from Zachary Sanders (the voice of Schoolhouse Rock’s “Verb: That’s What’s Happening” and “Electricity, Electricity”). It quickly rose to #1 on Billboard’s Disco chart, #4 on the Hot Soul Singles chart and #40 on the Hot 100. Jocelyn Brown (then Shaw) handled vocals on “It’s A Girl’s Affair” and “Angel In My Pocket.” She previously scored top ten hits on the Disco chart via her work with Musique and Inner Life, and would reach #2 on the R&B charts with her own “Somebody Else’s Guy” four years later. Other tracks included “Searching” and “The Glow Of Love,” with vocals from Luther Vandross, then just an in-demand session singer. Vandross’ star-making performance on the songs launched his groundbreaking solo career (beginning with the double-Platinum Never Too Much the following year), and “The Glow Of Love” would become the bedrock for Janet Jackson’s 2001 smash “All For You.” The Glow Of Love reached #10 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and 29 on the Top 200. Now, the Gold-certified The Glow Of Love returns, remastered and expanded with four bonus remixes, including the promo-only long version of the title track with Vandross’ soaring vocals. New liner notes from author Tim Dillinger, outlining the band’s genesis and the recording of the album. Hear the album Record World hailed as “a winner,” and England’s Sunday Sun called “the human face of disco.”

OUT NOW: Art Pepper - Everything Happens To Me via @omnivorerecordings . Historic 4 hours of previously unissued 1959 live Art Pepper recorded at Vancouver’s legendary jazz club The Cellar. ⚪️ Restored & Mastered here by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio From Omnivore Recordings: “Art Pepper’s Everything Happens To Me: 1959 – Live At The Cellar is the stuff music archivists can only dream of finding. Recordings by an historic and important jazz artist, at a storied venue, at a time when the artist was making some of their most essential work. In this case, catching Pepper on tape at The Cellar in 1959 finds him in the midst of creating and straddling landmark releases like, Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section, Modern Art, Art Pepper + Eleven and Gettin’ Together. Though Pepper was going through a down time, Vancouver, Canada’s jazz club, The Cellar was in full swing and in the middle of its seven-year run. Everything Happens To Me utilizes a fly-on-the-wall approach that includes all the existing music as the recordings happened. As a result, the 4-CD / Digital set includes some incomplete tracks, but most songs run near to completion. The producers Laurie Pepper (Art’s widow) and Omnivore Recordings’, Cheryl Pawelski didn’t want to omit the near hour of additional music just because tape ran out on a track. Restoration and mastering engineer Michael Graves, restored and unified the existing audio to welcome you into The Cellar environment despite microphone placement changes within the club with nearly every change of tape. Album notes by Kirk Silsbee include interviews with Laurie Pepper and Dave Quarin who also provided archival photos from the era, and the album art is built around the linocut that used to hang above the bar at The Cellar, a stunning piece called The Trio by Harry J. Webb. It’s not often that ephemeral moments at pivotal times during an artist’s career are captured such that nearly 70 years later they are ours to experience, but Art Pepper’s 1959 visits to The Cellar were transformative, “Pepper would later say that the experience was so emotionally satisfying that he would subse¬quently recommit himself to jazz.”

OUT NOW: The Necessaries - Completely Necessary (Anthology 1978-1982) via @omnivorerecordings . The first authorized and comprehensive anthology from mid-’70s/early ’80s New York rock/punk/art scene band The Necessaries ⚪️ Restored & Mastered by Michael Graves here at Osiris Studio From Omnivore Recordings: “The Necessaries came together in 1978 and in the too-brief lifespan of the band counted among their members, Ed Tomney (Rage To Live, Luka Bloom), Jesse Chamberlain (Red Crayola), Ernie Brooks (Modern Lovers), Arthur Russell (The Flying Hearts), Randy Gun (Love Of Life Orchestra). First championed by John Cale on the strength of Tomney’s songs, Cale produced their first single for Spy Records (under the I.R.S. umbrella) which was released in 1979. With the forward momentum brought about by the single, the band set about tracking demos intended for Warner Bros., but The Necessaries ultimately would sign to Seymour Stein’s Sire Records. These rough demo basic tracks lacked overdubs, mixes and any finishing touches that would have made them viable for commercial release, but due to tour commitments, the band had to put the sessions on hold to hit the road. While on tour, the band was shocked to discover that Sire had issued the unfinished tracks as their debut album Big Sky (issued in 1981). The band had Big Sky withdrawn and replaced with Event Horizon (issued in 1982) which included half the original tracks from Big Sky and continued to record throughout 1982 aiming for a follow-up. It was not to be and their final studio sessions remained unissued until now. Completely Necessary (Anthology 1978–1982) is the first authorized collection of recordings by The Necessaries and includes 37 tracks, 28 of which are previously unissued. Completely Necessary represents the most accurate musical history of the band laid out across three albums. Disc one is the band-approved first album Event Horizon, followed by Pilots Facing North, a disc collecting studio recordings spanning 1978–1981 and disc three finally sees the release of their final sessions, Songs From The Blue Colony.”

OUT NOW: From the Peggy Lee Archive, Michael Graves the pleasure of restoring and mastering this beautiful, unreleased recording of Peggy Lee singing “La Vie en Rose.” From Peggy Lee Archive: “Making its debut today is a previously unreleased 1952 home recording of Peggy Lee singing “La Vie en Rose” in French, recorded nearly 75 years ago during an intimate living room jam session. Long before cell phones could capture life as it happened, Peggy had her own way of saving moments. She kept a reel-to-reel tape machine at home, and also traveled with one, recording rehearsals, performances, business meetings, and recording sessions. She even recorded the world around her, from the bells of Westminster Abbey to parties and impromptu musical moments at home. This remarkable collection of recordings has now been digitized, revealing private performances that feel like stepping into another time, giving fans the experience of being a fly on the wall and hearing Peggy sing just for herself. “La Vie en Rose” is one of those rare moments. Peggy was a lifelong admirer of Édith Piaf, and although she performed “La Vie en Rose” live and on television over the years, she never commercially recorded the song, making this release especially meaningful. Captured in a single take, the recording features Peggy singing alongside a trio of piano, upright bass, and drums, and has been newly remastered by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio to bring out the warmth and intimacy of the original performance. The release of “La Vie en Rose” is the first in a new digital singles series, From the Peggy Lee Archive, featuring rare recordings drawn from her personal tapes. It offers fans the chance to experience these performances as they unfolded in real time, and to continue discovering Peggy Lee’s artistry across time, through music. Avec amour, Peggy Lee Associates”