Mike Beck CD
Recording Sessions

Paragon Studios - Chicago, Illinois
Thursday, August 15, 2002

This session took place at Paragon Studios in Chicago's meat-packing district. Paragon's Chief Engineer Jack LeTourneau took fantastic care of us. Recording at Paragon was a treat.

We initially chose Paragon because of their exceptional collection of vintage instruments... Hammond B3 and C3 organs, a Fender Rhodes electric piano and a beautiful 1960s grand piano. On hand were Chicago singer-songwriter Steve Kouba and Mike Beck CD arranger Alex Hall, both accomplished pianists.

Blues great Larry McCray arrived with his manager Paul Koch and brother Steve McCray to cap off the evening's session with some incredible guitar work.

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Producer Andy Sabin waits to get buzzed into Paragon's downstairs entryway. After a short, funky elevator ride, we enter Paragon's hallowed halls. Welcome to Paragon Studios! Paragon Chief Engineer Jack LeTourneau proudly displays Paragon's newly acquired Trident mixing console, recently delivered from Trident Studios in London. This board has legendary provenances... It was used during the recording of Pink Floyd's The Wall, on all of Queen's classic albums, and many more. It was not used, however, during our recording sessions! It had literally just been delivered and required integration into the existing studio signal path. A short month later, the board was first used by Paragon during the "Half Past Midnight: Live In Chicago" recording sessions, which were produced by Mike Beck. Jack LeTourneau at work in Paragon's Control Room B. Note the TV monitor... This was our "control room window" for the session! Paragon created a great reputation for itself in the 1970s, earning gold and platinum records for Styx, Ohio Players and others. Shown here are Styx's Canadian platinum albums for their seminal Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight LPs, which were recorded at Paragon's original Huron Street location.
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
American gold record for Styx's Grand Illusion. Chicago singer-songwriter-supertalent Steve Kouba in front of Styx's American gold records. In the USA, gold records are awarded for the sale of 500,000 albums, while platinum records are awarded for sales of 1,000,000. Kouba's first CD, Consanguinuity deserves to go gold 'cuz it's so good, but he needs to sell a few more copies to break the threshhold. Check out his web site at www.stevekouba.com to listen to tracks from his CD. Who knows... Maybe your purchase is the one that gives him the gold! Steve Kouba warms up on Paragon's beautiful blonde grand piano. A lucky shot! Kouba at the piano, where he belongs.
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Alex Hall tickles Paragon's Hammond B3, in preparation for his organ work on Planet Love, Driving Forward and Soulshine. A vintage Neumann M49 mic in front of the Hammond B3's Leslie 122 rotating speaker. The Fender Rhodes Electric Piano played by Alex Hall on Could Have Been. Andy Sabin runs the ProTools session while Jack LeTourneau twiddles knobs on the Big board.
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Steve Kouba recording piano for The Ghost of Mrs. Adler. Alex Hall recording piano on One Minus One. Alex Hall at the Fender Rhodes for Could Have Been.
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Some old freaky chorus that Jack dug up from the vault and hooked up to the Fender Rhodes. Alex Hall and Producer Andy Sabin between takes in Paragon's live room. Alex Hall laying down organ tracks for Soulshine. In addition to the Hammond B3 pictured here, Paragon also has a C3 previously owned by jazz great Jimmy McGriff.
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Alex Hall on the Hammond B3, as seen on the control room monitor. Producer Andy Sabin and Alex Hall in front of Paragon's newly installed Trident board. Larry's powerfully talented brother Steve McCray. Steve plays drums and sings backup in Larry's band (and, man can this guy sing!).
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Larry McCray on his custom Les Paul, warming up. Larry's superlative guitar work can be heard on Johnny Y. and Soulshine, a song written by sometime Allman Brother Warren Haynes and first recorded by Larry for his 1992 Delta Hurricane release.
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
We ALL know that Larry's really da man. Mike's just lucky to stand near him!!!

Photo by Andy Sabin.
Larry diggin' in on Johnny Y. Larry McCray recording guitar for the Mike Beck CD, as seen through the glass of Paragon's Control Room A. Larry McCray on the monitor in Control Room B. The blues is his business... And business is good! Producer Andy Sabin and Mike observing Larry McCray's performance from Paragon's Control Room B.

Photo by Alex Hall.
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Andy Sabin practicing his stoic "producer look". He's pretty good at it!

Mike in the background contemplates what's for dinner... Hmmnn... Greektown's just down the street!

Photo by Alex Hall.
The live room at Paragon Studios. In addition to the Hammond B3 and C3 organs visible in this picture, you can see two amps from their collection of vintage and classic guitar amplifiers. Larry McCray and Paragon Chief Engineer Jack LeTourneau listening to one of Jack's most recent projects, a fantastic sounding CD by Chicago blues harmonica master Billy Branch.

 

All photos by Mike Beck unless otherwise indicated. ©2002 Big Ugly Music & Media

 

Return to Main CD Photo Page | Home | Photos | Tour Diary | Calendar | Guestbook | Bio | Buy | Listen | Email

This page created on a Macintosh using PhotoPage by John A. Vink.