Alan Jansson produced the late great kiwi rock legend Graham Brazier's last album. Jansson touches on the new album, the man and his memories of working with Brazier.
Hello Sailor frontman Graham Brazier's stunning musical legacy is set to continue from beyond the grave.
Brazier - who died in 2015 - would have marked his 65th birthday next month.
But instead of hitting retirement age the celebrated musician will deliver what some consider are his best songs ever - in a posthumous album full of likely hits.
Brazier was working on the album -Left Turn at Midnight - at the time of his death in September 2015.
Finishing the album turned into a cathartic labour of love for Brazier's close friend, and renowned producer, Alan Jansson who put the finishing touches on the album last week.
Jansson said he was "in awe" of his friend of over 30 years and honoured to produce the album.
"Paulie from OMC was probably as green as I was and Sisters Underground hadn't been in the recording studio much so we made our way together," Jansson said.
"Graham was a perfectionist and a top artist. You have to be there, you have to have the button on record. You have to be ready for him. You don't want to miss anything."
"I feel like all the experience in my life was leading up to this point."
Jansson said the songs on the new album are as good, if not better, than Brazier's Blue Lady with Hello Sailor and solo hit Billy Bold.
"There is no B-side, all of the songs pop out of the speakers."
Jansson said Graham's sudden death, after a heart attack, had "hit him hard". He took a year off from producing the album because the grief was too raw.
"Losing him was heartbreaking. I have lost family and not cried but when I was told about Graham I just broke down," Jansson said.
"It was the saddest day of my life."
The pair had were working on Brazier's album in the months before his death.
Brazier referred to the old brick building by Victoria Park Market as his "church" and the pair would meet Thursdays after a "we going to church tomorrow" phone call from Brazier every Wednesday.
Photos of Brazier adorn the walls of the studio and provided Jansson with encouragement.
"I guess it helped with the grief, I would work on something then I'd look at his photo and see his foot tapping and hear him say "you can do better than that" and I'd go back and do some more."
Brazier's long term friend Kelly Addis said songs on the album are just as good, if not better than hits such as Billy Bold and Blue Lady.
Addis organised funding for the album - which cost "hundred's of thousands of dollars."
"A lot of the money was from fans of Graham's who were at university and are now CEOs of big companies," Addis said.
When: Sunday May 7 Where: Kings Arms, Newmarket Who: Artists include Jordan Luck, Rikki Morris, Peter Urlich and Kim Willoughby for the "Friends of Brazier" show.
