DEEP in the concrete jungle of an unsuspecting Tottington industrial estate the faint sounds of musical magic can be heard.

Welcome to Big City Jacks, a rehearsal space and recording studio where rock and roll reigns supreme and one of Greater Manchester’s premier facilities for established and up and coming artists alike.

Founded in 2008, and originally named Blue Vinyl, the studio is the brainchild of 32-year-old Colin Briggs.

Its name is inspired by Colin’s late father ­— who thought the sobriquet would make a great band name­— and was rebranded in his memory.

After eight successful years of churning out outstanding records Colin was contacted out of the blue by renowned New York producer Tony Long.

The 38-year-old had been working in Manchester mixing soundtracks for commercials and for clients when he began searching for a fresh challenge. The two instantly struck up a professional and personal friendship and have worked together ever since.

Tony was born and raised in Woodside, Queens, and started on the path to a career in music from an early age. At eight he was playing drums at his local church and quickly became a multi-instrumentalist.

This led him onto to playing in numerous bands throughout his teens and early 20s before he decided to take a step behind the mixing desk.

“I wanted to change direction in my musical career and wanted to be at the controls giving my suggestions and input,” Tony said. “Having a trained ear I can sort out those imperfections and add suggestions where a musician might not have thought to do it a certain way.

“Sometimes it can a few hours to get this process right, but I don’t want to waste my clients time as they paid for the sessions. It has to be right.”

Tony was tutored in the States by legendary producer Roger Greenawalt who has worked with icons including Iggy Pop, Joe Strummer and Philip Glass. And after completing his internship worked in post production at Engine Room Audio in New York ­— a studio which counts The Killers and 50 Cent among its clients.

Eventually Tony was invited to the UK by a group of friends, one of whom later became his wife, and settle in Manchester.

Colin and Tony have since become an indissoluble duo describing each other as “pilot and co-pilot, right arm and left”.

Tthey have been working with some of the hottest talents in the Bury scene, including Adventures of Salvador on their recent album Welcome to our Village, Jay Dunn on his The Circle of Five EP, and and are currently working on a single with Fragile Audio.

“All these bands are from Bury and have just featured at The HMV Live and Local,” Tony said. “We are also working on other projects and hopefully some exciting news to follow. It’s a bit secret at the moment.

“Brit musicians are more professional and work until it’s done, whereas American musicians have the attitude ‘It can be done tomorrow’.

“There is a real buzz being generated around Bury with talented musicians of different ages. It’s great with the resurgence of vinyl. I can see Bury being a little hub for muso’s, and there are more venues being open to live music.”

For more information visit www.bigcityjacks.co.uk.

n Special thanks to Danny Crompton and Phil Taylor