Born in Flint and by now a Michigan institution, Mr. B (Mark Braun) is a rare living link to the early days of boogie woogie, having learned directly from legends like Little Brother Montgomery and Blind John Davis. Each spring he brings in blues and jazz singers and players that you may not have heard before for a mini musicians' summit, right here at The Ark! This year's guests are Bob Seeley, Rick Roe, and Silvan Zingg! Silvan comes to the show direct from Switzerland, but he's a master of this American style. Take it from Chuck Berry, who says, "Silvan plays as if he were from St. Louis—he could be my blues brother!” Bob Seeley, longtime house pianist at Charley's Crab restaurant in Troy, Michigan, and a profound influence on boogie piano players far and wide is a Michigan treasure and a frequent Mr. B partner-in-piano crime. Pianist Rick Roe is well-known to audiences in southeast Michigan and beyond—he's a first-place winner in the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, and twice a semifinalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition.