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 concerts feature fan favorite Axel Zwingenberger, accompanying classic blues singer Lila Ammons. Lila has forged a path in music that at once honors tradition and her own expressive impulses. Beginning her vocal career in opera houses and concert halls, she later returned to her familial roots in jazz and the boogie woogie tradition (she is the niece of tenor sax titan Gene ï ¿ ½Jugï ¿ ½ Ammons and the granddaughter of the great boogie woogie pianist Albert Ammons). She gained popular and critical acclaim touring Europe and Brazil with German pianist Axel Zwingenberger, and as featured vocalist with the ABC&D of Boogie Woogie Quartet with Zwingenberger and Charlie Watts. Through recordings and live performances alike, Ammons continues to attract new audiences with her nuanced vocal jazz narratives, a respect for traditional blues and jazz idioms, and an unpredictability that delights. Accompanist Zwingenberger has been dubbed the Boogiemeister of the World. He's a star in his own right, with three decades of recordings under his belt and has inspired hundreds of musicians, in his native Europe and beyond, to learn boogie woogie and keep the form alive.

Note special start time!