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Take The B Train

Take The B Train image
Parent Issue
Month
February
Year
1992
Copyright
Creative Commons (Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share-alike)
Rights Held By
Agenda Publications
OCR Text

Mr. B's latest recording, "My Sunday Best," takes you from the church into the boogie woogie clubs, to the gospel recital, to the jazz dends, to the street, and back to the church. And, if you listen close enough, it takes you to the roots of rock and roll.

Take the B Train

by P.J. Ryder, Jr.

Mr. B. Where does one start? The "kid" sleeping on a bench in the basement of the old Blind Pig in order to be close to and learn from Boogie Woogie Red and the rest of the blues scholars in residence there? The wild, sweat soaked, roaring piano player in the Steve Nardella Band who along with George Bedard turned this writer on to this music of boogie, blues and seminal rock and roll? Maybe you got on the train at "B's Bounce" or "Detroit Special" or "Shining the Pearls" or "Partners in Time," but wherever you got on, you knew you had found something special. And now Mr. B. is giving you his best. His Sunday best.

"My Sunday Best" is Mr. B.'s latest offering. The compact disc is the first release on Ann Arbor's own Schoolkids Records label, and as they say, "We got a live one here!" Recorded live at the Kerrytown Concert House, Mr. B. (aka Mark Braun) sparkles like never before. He continues to evolve into the future while reaching back and grabbing fistfuls of the past.

You want boogie woogie? How about "Roll 'Em Pete"? Mr. B. sails across the keys propelled by the swinging, pushing beat of the all star drummer Roy Brooks.

You want jazz? Try "Deep Excavation." Kurt Krahnke and Andy Conlin, on bass and drums respectively, provide the solid rhythm core for B.'s moody, introspective composition. And when Krahnke breaks out the bow, you can feel the spirits talking; and the trio talks right back.

You say you want something different? "Blues For a Carpenter" should fit the bill. Roy Brooks displays his unique talents on the hammered saw. Mr. B. often works as a carpenter on the side and on this cut he and Mr. Brooks hammer out some mean, old, sweet blues to an enthusiastic audience.

Did I hear you say traditional Americana? Is Steven Foster rad enough for you? Wait till you hear B.'s arrangement of "Swanee River Boogie." Once again, Roy Brooks' artistic brush work beautifully compliments Mr. B.'s rollicking ride down the river.

The title track, "My Sunday Best" is a tribute to Professor Doctor Arwulf Arwulf's Sunday morning radio show, broadcast on WEMU. It is my favorite, and B. must have liked it too because he put it on the album twice. There is a solo version and an ensemble version, and both swing! This song is a great example of an artist taking all of his influences and incorporating them into one composition. "Sunday Best" takes you from the church into the boogie woogie clubs, to the gospel recital, to the jazz dens, to the street, and back to church. And, if you listen close enough, it takes you to the roots of rock and roll. In a way, this song is timeless. It could have been written one hundred years ago and I hope that it will be played one hundred years from now.

For those audio heads out there, the recording quality is excellent. The direct-to-digital technology makes it feel like B. and crew are in your living room. The technicians on the recording deserve a lot of credit.

Watching and listening to the evolution of Mr. B. has been a pleasure for me and many other music lovers. "My Sunday Best" is another step in that evolution. Congratulations Mr. B., you've done it again.

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