AUSTIN TEXAS THE ROCK OPERA

 

 Making It Happen

 

Franky wanted to record each song in the birthplace of its genre. He started with blues, turning to the multi-Grammy nominated Joyride Studio in Chicago, IL. Recordings began in January 2016 with Grammy-winning engineer Blaise Barton and Brian Leach. As the project’s scope grew, Gravity Studios of IL was also brought on board. Recording and mixing lasted almost six months, ending in July 2016.

 

Franky travelled all over the country seeking versatile musicians for his band. The first members were Ric Jaz (Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee and guitar player for legendary Buddy Guy as well) and Kenny Anderson (Blues Hall of Fame-er and trumpet player for Bill McFarland Chicago Horns Band). Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame-ers David Service (bass) and Malcom L. Banks Sr soon joined, as well. At the end of several auditions, Franky decided on Jennifer Williams as female vocalist and Brian Leach as singer and multi-instrumentalist and engineer.

 

World-class music professionals supported the band, and many songs feature guest artists like Lynne Jordan, Theo Huff, the Hoyle Brothers, Matthew Skoller and Bill McFarland Chicago Horns, to name a few.

 

All 13 songs of the concept album are composed, arranged, lyrics written, co-mixed, produced, and copyrighted by Franky. Six horn arrangements and two string arrangements were made by Kenny Anderson.

 

The process has taken hundreds of hours of rehearsing and studio time so far. Franky has spent several weeks in studios, assisting to the whole rehearsing, recording, and mixing sessions.

 

The mixes were mastered by Jerry Tubb in Terra Nova, the multi-Grammy nominated studio in Austin, TX.

 

Meanwhile, two editors worked on the novella written by Franky to accompany the album. And Dick Reeves, the 2016 Grammy winner from Austin, TX, was commissioned to design artwork for the whole project, including the CD album cover and the novella cover.