Mr. B’s Blues & Boogie Piano Celebration

Sat
22
April 22 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Once a year, Mark “Mr. B” Braun, Ann Arbor’s own wizard of blues and boogie piano music, comes together with other top piano players from around southeastern Michigan and beyond. Call it a piano summit, or perhaps a meeting of the minds! Audiences in southeastern Michigan tend to think of Mr. B as a local hero, but in fact he’s well known among fans and practitioners of blues and jazz piano music all over the country and around the world. In the past, Mr. B’s Piano Celebration concerts have brought great sets by otherwise hard-to-find performers from New Orleans, New York, and Europe, and they’re by no means confined to boogie and blues.

$30
Thu
13
April 13 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Each year, students and professors in the University of Michigan jazz program move in and tear up the Ark stage in our Jazz Showcase, always welcoming a nationally known special guest. This year, that guest is a legendary talent—trumpeter Randy Brecker, who has helped shape the sound of jazz, R&B, and rock for more than four decades. You’ve probably heard Randy Brecker even if you don’t know it—his trumpet and flugelhorn performances have graced hundreds of albums by a huge range of artists from James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, and Parliament/Funkadelic to Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Jaco Pastorius, and Frank Zappa. Here’s your chance to hear a jazz legend passing on his secrets to the next generation!

$15
Sun
19
February 19 @ 7:30 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Bill Frisell can be a hard musician to classify. You’ll find him in the jazz bins (or at the jazz link), and he’s been called the most brilliant jazz guitarist since Wes Montgomery. But he’s the kind of jazz musician who looks outward to other music, and his guitar can do just about anything, from any genre. It can approximate the sound of a country steel guitar, can wail the blues, can break new ground in music like Jimi Hendrix did. And he plays his own compositions, each one intricately woven into the capabilities of his instrument. As a collaborator, Bill Frisell is one of the most sought-after voices in contemporary guitar. His Ark shows have an intimacy that’s hard to find at his dates in larger cities.

$35
Sat
11
Cancelled
February 11 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Due to unforeseen circumstances, George Winston’s Feb 11 performance at The Ark will be rescheduled to a future date.  You will be notified by email after this date is determined. 

Please retain your tickets and they will be honored on the new date. Once the date is announced, patrons will have 30 days to request a refund if they are not able to attend the new date.

$45, $53, $75
Fri
20
January 20 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Djangophonique is a virtuosic, instrumentally driven quartet led by guitar player Andrew Brown. A true disciple of the style, Andrew has spent countless hours immersing himself in the language of Django Reinhardt’s jazz manouche, and he’s joined on stage by bandmates that match his skill and passion for the material. With respect for the tradition and a fearless creativity that bends the conventions of the style, Djangophonique is keeping the Hot Club of France revival alive and well.

The members of Harmonious Wail, from Madison, Wisconsin, are purveyors of Americana-infused gypsy jazz who continue to take their listeners on a ride via the music of the Hot Club sounds of Parisian cafes, to the deepest blues of the Memphis Delta, to the heartfelt folk scenes across every-town-America

$20
Thu
29
December 29, 2022 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Doubling as a platform for activism, the music of Fela Kuti was a unique blend of jazz, funk, and African influences. Performed by an African big-band of unusual instrumentation, Fela’s music rolled out in an extended, hypnotic fashion. His political vocals fell somewhere between melody and musical speech. While the Afrobeat music of Nigeria’s Fela Kuti remains singularly unique, it typically fails to gain deserved attention in the world of modern-day performance.

Join us for a rare opportunity to hear this music authentically reproduced. Originally sponsored by the University of Michigan “MCube” initiative, this performance unites UofM faculty & musicians from the Flint and Ann Arbor campuses with local professionals. The project, lead by Brian DiBlassio, is based on note-for-note transcriptions of Fela’s work, with feature artist from Cincinnati, Baoku Moses, performing the role of Fela.

$20
Sun
11
December 11, 2022 @ 7:30 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Kat Edmonson is an award-winning songwriter and singer “with an equal foothold in jazz, cabaret and vintage cosmopolitanism pop” (The New York Times). She has been featured on Austin City Limits, Tiny Desk Concerts, A Prairie Home Companion, and The Late Show with David Letterman. The New York Times describes her music as “fresh as a spring bouquet” while NPR says, “Hearing Edmonson makes it virtually impossible to do anything but stop and listen.” Kat Edmonson will perform swingin’ Yule-tide favorites such as “Jingle Bell Rock”, “O Christmas Tree”, and “Let It Snow” as part of her festive show, Holiday Swingin’! A Kat Edmonson Christmas.

$25
Tue
6
December 6, 2022 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Avoiding easy categorization, The Bad Plus has won critical acclaim and a legion of fans worldwide with their unique sound and flair for live performance. Now in their 21st year, The Bad Plus continues to push boundaries as founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) embark on a new piano-less incarnation of the band with Ben Monder (guitar) and Chris Speed (tenor saxophone)—re-energizing their sound and inspiration.

$30
Thu
1
December 1, 2022 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Award-winning guitarist, educator, and performer Rollie Tussing makes a raggedy brand of music informed by the era of 78 rpm records, juke joints, and street performers. He composes a lot of his own songs and has a knack for reworking an old obscure tune, finding beauty in the forgotten scratches, pops and grooves of his esoteric record collection.

$20
Sat
26
November 26, 2022 @ 8:00 pm

The Ark 316 S. Main Ann Arbor, MI 48104 United States

Tonight’s show offers an opportunity to hear three of the legends of Michigan music together on the same stage—guitarists George Bedard and Steve Nardella will be joining Mr. B on stage for a Thanksgiving weekend blues and boogie blowout! This trio has a grand history of playing together in the past, and when they have, the results have been amazing. This will be a long-awaited reunion show for these three giants of blues and boogie and it’s not to be missed!

$20