Mr. B. (Mark Braun)
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Mr. B. (born Mark Lincoln Braun, 1957, Flint, Michigan [1]) is considered by his peers and critics alike to be one of the finest living players of classic blues and boogie piano. He has performed worldwide giving audiences a rare chance to hear this once nearly forgotten form. His passionate approach to the music makes these concerts an unforgettable experience. In addition, he has contributed a wealth of new music by composing pieces which often stretch the boundaries of the traditional forms, adding an important new aspect to the lineage of this fabulous form of musical expression. He has recorded 7 albums as a leader, most of which are available on CD.
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[edit] Early Life
Born 19 February 1957, Mark Lincoln Braun was born to Phil and Sally Braun as the youngest of three children in Flint, Michigan. He became interested in the piano through recordings that his father had played and began studying under the likes of Boogie Woogie Red and other famous area musicians. Between listening to records as well as the local musicians, and receiving one on one instructions from the local musicians, Braun's music career had begun. Mark began playing by listening and watching the local musicians perform at local venues and private lessons. Whilst immersing himself in the blues and boogie traditions and culture, Braun graduated from Flint Northern High School and was accepted into the prestigious University of Michigan. After completing three years towards a Bachelor of Arts in History degree, Braun decided to drop out and pursue a career in blues and boogie woogie style piano.
[edit] My Sunday Best
1994 - This is another trio date with Kurt Krahnke (bass) and Andy Conlin (drums). Also featured prominently is the legendary drummer, Roy Brooks. "The changes in direction serve to literally amaze the listener, taking them through a range of moods and colors that are generally not experienced in such a setting. Truly, in Braun's hands, musical genres are bent into a pervasive whole, with no regard for anything but the purity of intention and the transference of joyous emotion … this is musical empathy at its best. This is not just a case of a local boy making good, this is a statement of a world class musician playing for his hometown fans." Detroit Metro Times Magazine. Recorded live at the Kerrytown Concert house in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Track Listing:
1. My Sunday Best 2. Deep Excavation 3. Little Brother 4. Swanee River Boogie 5. La Piragua 6. Blues for a Carpenter 7. Thunder & Lightning Boogie 8. When I Lost My Baby 9. New 44 Blues 10. Roll 'Em Pete 11. Deep South Blues 12. My Sunday Best
[edit] Hallelujah Train
Released on 3 September 1996 - Mr. B meets the Bird of Paradise Orchestra. This was an exhilarating and challenging collaboration, a mix of original and standard compositions all presented in unique arrangements for a 16 piece band. "From the opening 'Hallelujah Train' to the practically unbelievable 10 minutes of sheer energy in the finale, 'B's Boogie Woogie,' this album kicks out all the stops." - Louisiana Country Magazine. Recorded live.
Track Listing:
1. Hallelujah Train 2. Brauny 3. One Room Country Shack 4. My Sunday Best 5. Little Brother 6. Down the Road Apiece 7. Mardi Gras in New Orleans 8. Air Mail Special 9. La Bailarina 10. Deep Excavation 11. B's Boogie Woogie
[edit] Mr. B Live
Mr. B Live at the Kerrytown Concert House 2002 - This is a solo date and the first since B's BOUNCE in 1984. This set features many of the great standards of the blues and boogie school recorded in front of an audience on a beautiful Steinway model C at the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor. The Concert House has featured dozens of luminaries from the world of jazz piano, and this recording documents a highlight in their series. Mr. B returns to his roots for straight ahead blues and boogie piano playing at its finest.
Track Listing:
1. Pinetop's Boogies 2. When the Saints Go Marching In 3. After Hours 4. Jimmy's Stuff 5. Cow-Cow Blues 6. Honky Tonk Train Blues 7. Sunnyside of the Street 8. Vicksburg Blues 9. Chicago Breakdown 10. My Babe 11. St. Louis Blues
[edit] Back to Back
[edit] Career
He moved to Ann Arbor as a young adult, and learned to play rock and pop piano at age 15, but was converted to blues and boogie by a Jimmy Yancey record his father gave him.
Mr. B. is a dedicated blues piano revivalist, recording tunes made famous by Yancey, as well as Little Brother Montgomery, Professor Longhair, Mercy Dee Walton, Amos Milburn, and Sunnyland Slim, among others.
