Grammy nominated album recorded in Sherbrooke
Larry O’malley is well-known on the music scene in the Townships both as a sound engineer for live events and recording, mixing and mastering in his studio in Sherbrooke.
His company Audiobec Sono-vidéo now has a new feather in its cap.
On Tuesday, O’malley got the news that the album Migration Blues by Eric Bibb, recorded last year at his studio, has been nominated for a Grammy award.
“He called yesterday (Tuesday),” O’malley said. “I wanted you to be the first to know,” Eric Bibb said to O’malley, explaining that Migration Blues had received a Grammy nomination.
While music recorded at Audiobec has received nods at the Felix awards, the recent Grammy nomination is a first for O’malley.
Eric Bibb is an internationally recognized blues and jazz recording artist with 39 albums to his credit.
The Record asked O’malley how he ended up welcoming Bibb into his studio.
“It was because of Michael Jerome Brown,” O’malley explained.
The Montreal artist, an acquaintance of O’malley was touring with Bibb and told him that he should do some recording in O’malley’s studio.
After the first visit, Bibb was hooked, according to O’malley.
Bibb currently has two other recording projects in the works at Audiobec.
O’malley said he once got a call from Bibb, “I’m doing a show around you, I’ll come do a few days of recording.”
“Ok great, are you playing in Montreal?” Replied O’malley.
“No, Edmonton,” Bibb said. While Alberta is not exactly right next store to O’malley’s Sherbrooke studio, he explained that Bibb lives in Sweden, so according to him it would be considered in the neighbourhood.
O’malley was responsible for recording, mixing and mastering Bibb’s album, Migration Blues, up for best Traditional Blues album.
While he is proud of the accomplishment, the Grammy nomination is not a complete surprise, according to O’malley.
The first week that the album was released in January, 2017, it topped the charts in France.
“It was well-received,” O’malley said, explaining that Bibb’s album has had consistent positive reviews since it has been out.
When asked what the recent fame means for Audiobec, O’malley explained that recording and working with artists is his passion, and he hopes Bibb’s nomination will spread the word about his studio and the quality of work available here in Sherbrooke.
“We’ll say this studio is the highway to the Grammy’s,” O’malley joked.