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Rick Braun

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Rick Braun
Braun performing in 2005
Braun performing in 2005
Background information
Birth nameRichard Carl Braun
Born (1955-07-06) July 6, 1955 (age 69)
Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
GenresSmooth jazz, jazz fusion, pop
Occupation(s)Musician, record producer
InstrumentsTrumpet, flugelhorn,[1] keyboards[1]
LabelsArtistry, Mack Avenue
Websiterickbraun.com

Rick Braun (born July 6, 1955) is an American smooth jazz trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone and keyboards player, vocalist, composer, and record producer.[2]

Early life and education

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Braun was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and attended Dieruff High School. His mother was a self-taught pianist and banjoist. Braun played drums at Dieruff High School, and followed his brother in playing trumpet.[3]

In the 1970s, while attending the Eastman School of Music, he became a member of a jazz-fusion band, Auracle, along with, amongst others, keyboards player John Serry, saxophone and flute player Steve Kujala and vibes player Steve Rehbein (later Steve Raybine).[2][4] The band worked with producer Teo Macero and Braun co-produced the second album City Slickers (minus John Serry and Steve Kujala).

Career

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In the 1980s, Braun entered the pop music world, releasing an album in Japan as a singer. He then worked as a songwriter for Lorimar, writing the song "Here with Me" with REO Speedwagon which became a top twenty hit,[2][4] and the theme for Lorimar's NBC show Midnight Caller. When he returned to the trumpet, he worked as a studio musician and touring member with Crowded House, Natalie Cole, Glenn Frey, Jack Mack and the Heart Attack, Tom Petty, Sade, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, and War.[4]

In 1992, he released his debut solo album, Intimate Secrets (Mesa), followed in 1994 by two solo albums, Night Walk and Christmas Present. The former featured him playing just muted trumpet and flugelhorn. His popularity increased enough by 1995, when he released Beat Street, that he was persuaded to pursue a solo career.[2][5]

He has cited as influences Miles Davis, Lee Morgan, Chet Baker, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, and Herb Alpert. He cites Herb Alpert with inspiring his album All It Takes, which includes the song "Tijuana Dance", a play on Alpert's band Tijuana Brass.[4] One of his influences was Freddie Hubbard, and Braun composed a song, "Freddie Was Here" in 2008, which he recorded on his album, All it Takes, in tribute to Hubbard, who died that year.[6]

He achieved several top chartings including Kisses in the Rain (as high as number 1),[7] R n R (as high as number 1), All It Takes (as high as number 2),[8] and Can You Feel It (as high as number 1) along with charting at the Traditional Jazz Albums for the first time in 2011 with the vocal album Sings with Strings (as high as number 9).[9]

Braun performs in the band BWB, with saxophonist Kirk Whalum and guitarist Norman Brown.[10] He has performed live with known musicians such as Candy Dulfer, Dave Koz, Jackiem Joyner, and Peter White.

In 2005, he and saxophonist Richard Elliot co-founded ARTizen Music Group, now known as Artistry Music, and once had Rykodisc as a distributor.[11]

Braun has twice been named Gavin Report's "Artist of the Year".[12]

Discography

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Albums

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Titles Year Label Notes
Intimate Secrets 1992 Mesa
Night Walk 1994 Mesa/Bluemoon
Christmas Present: Music of Warmth and Celebration 1994 Mesa/Bluemoon reissued by Atlantic in 1997
Beat Street 1995 Mesa/Bluemoon
Body and Soul 1997 Mesa/Bluemoon
Full Stride 1998 Atlantic
Shake It Up 2000 Warner Bros. with Boney James
Kisses in the Rain 2001 Warner Bros.
Esperanto 2003 Warner Bros.
Yours Truly 2005 Artizen
Sessions: Volume 1 2006 Artizen
R n R 2007 Artizen with Richard Elliot
All It Takes 2009 Artistry/Mack Avenue
Sings with Strings 2011 Artistry/Mack Avenue
Swingin' in the Snow 2012 Brauntosoarus/CD Baby
Can You Feel It 2014 Artistry/Mack Avenue
Around the Horn 2017 Shanachie
Crossroads 2019 Shanachie
Rick Braun 2022 Brauntosoarus

BWB (Rick Braun, Kirk Whalum, Norman Brown)

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Titles Year Label
Groovin' 2002 Warner Bros.
Human Nature: The Songs of Michael Jackson 2013 Heads Up
BWB 2016 Artistry/Mack Avenue

Compilation appearances

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  • New Age Music & New Sounds Vol. 67 – Liberty

Songs co-written

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Bryan Savage - Soul Temptation - Credits". AllMusic.com. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Ankeny, Jason. "Rick Braun". AllMusic. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  3. ^ Peña, Susan (March 22, 1996). "Reading Eagle - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Walker, Chris (December 1, 1998). "Rick Braun: Brass Action - JazzTimes". JazzTimes. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  5. ^ Yonke, David (February 13, 2004). "Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  6. ^ Soergel, Brian (October 2009). "Rick Braun All It Takes". JazzTimes. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  7. ^ "Charts". Billboard. Vol. 113, no. 21. April 14, 2001. p. 44. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  8. ^ "Braun's Bow". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 32. August 15, 2009. p. 37. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  9. ^ "Format Change". Billboard. Vol. 123, no. 23. July 2011. p. 37. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  10. ^ Graybow, Steven (November 2, 2002). "Jazz Notes". Billboard. Vol. 114, no. 44. p. 46. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  11. ^ Ouellette, Dan (May 14, 2005). "Jazz Notes: "Citizen Art"". Billboard. Vol. 117, no. 20. p. 45. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  12. ^ "Rick Braun". allaboutjazz.com. Retrieved June 21, 2015.
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