TQM Recording Co.

introducing: The Russ Macklem Detroit Quintet

“Building a Recording Studio in a Church is the dream of many Producers and Recording Engineers and that is exactly what Ben Lorenz has done in the small village of Willis, Michigan. Willis Sound is the ideal place to record acoustic music and that makes it perfect for TQM Recording Co. Recorded in a single session in March of 2025 introducing: The Russ Macklem Detroit Quintet was recorded live-off-the-floor with single takes and no overdubs, edits or fixes. The way Jazz has been recorded since the beginning. The acoustics of Willis sound provides the prefect setting for such a recording and instantly makes you think of famed recording studios like The Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey or Power Station in New York.”

Ron Skinner - Producer / Recording Engineer and owner of TQM Recording Co.

Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Willis Sound

It was love at first sight. The former church built in 1895 had been abandoned for over 10 years when my partner Jason Magee and I found it. On top of co-owning a successful web development company together, we had always shared a passion for music and recording. Our vision was to create a recording experience that we hadn’t seen before. A place where the surroundings were as important as the studio itself.

Willis, Michigan is a small town, surrounded by farms and fields. Driving in, your blood pressure drops, your shoulders relax — it’s an incredible feeling. With a lot of help from our friends and family, the renovations and studio build out took us over two years to complete. The result is a studio and recording experience that is part creative playground and part sleepaway camp. We strive to create an environment where collaboration and new ideas can take shape. Where new sonic territory can be explored and great records made.

Ben Lorenz | Willis Sound Co-Founder