Mr. B. (Mark Braun)
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1957 (age 68–69)
Mr. B. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mark Lincoln Braun 1957 (age 68–69) Flint, Michigan, United States |
| Genres | Boogie-woogie |
| Instrument | Piano |
| Label | Oldie Blues |
| Website | marklincolnbraun |
Mr. B. (born Mark Lincoln Braun, 1957), is an American boogie-woogie pianist.[1]
Born in Flint, Michigan, United States, Mark Lincoln Braun was the youngest of the three children of Phil and Sally Braun. 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 Southwestern 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.
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.
