About.
Multitalented musician Brian Mitchell is well known in music industry circles and beyond for working with some of music's most respected artists including Levon Helm & The Midnight Ramble,
Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, BB King, Billy Preston, Little Feat, Dolly Parton, Rosanne Cash, Allen Toussaint, and Buster Poindexter as well as recording and performing his own original music. He has appeared on 5 Grammy award winning recordings, 3 with Levon Helm, and one each with BB King and Les Paul. n 2015 Brian was inducted into the New York Blues Hall Of Fame. His versatility on piano, Hammond B-3 organ, accordion, various vintage keyboards and harmonica plus his distinct vocal stylings have firmly established him as one of New York City's most sought after musicians.
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A native New Yorker, Mitchell is a mainstay in Manhattan's competitive live music scene. Known for his high-energy performances, Mitchell's own material features a unique blend of gutbucket blues, funky New Orleans style R& B, quirky latin rhythms, and occasional visits into outer space. Brian is currently performing through out the country with The Weight Band, (featuring former members of The Band & The Levon Helm Midnight Ramble)
He also performs much of his original music with "The Brian Mitchell Band", his accordion power trio "Fatboy Kanootch" with Clark Gayton on tuba. and funky electronica with "House OF Diablo" featuring Shawn Pelton on drums and electronic percussion at various exotic nightclubs around New York City.
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Brian’s work as a composer has been featured in TV, film, and theatre. His original music with “House Of Diablo” was featured in the Robert Altman movie “Tanner On Tanner”. His blues piano stylings were featured in Bill Sims music for August Wilson’s Broadway play “8 Pianos”. Brian also cowrote music for the AMC TV series "Hell On Wheels"with Marc Copely and James Dolan. And recently the song “Step Away” written by Brian and Christine Santelli was included on Bettye LaVette's Grammy nominated CD “Worthy”. His unique approach to performing and recording in the studio was the subject of a feature article in Keyboard Magazine. Subsequently Brian has written various articles for the magazine including an interview with Allen Toussaint & tips on being a sideman in the music business..
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Brian has made frequent TV appearances including performances on “The Late Show with David Letterman”, “Late Night with Conan O’Brian”, "The Tonight Show", as well as appearing on the soap opera “One Life To Live”. Brian’s accordion can be heard throughout Bob Dylan’s version of the Dean Martin chestnut “Return To Me” that was featured in an episode of “The Soprano’s”. Other special collaborations include accompanying actor Christopher Walken on accordion in the movie “Search and Destroy” and playing piano with Amy Helm in the Vera Farmiga film "Higher Ground". Brian can also be seen on PBS performing on "Live At The Ryman" with Levon Helm & The Midnight Ramble Band, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Sheryl Crow and Robert Plant. He also appears in "The Love For Levon Concert" performing with Roger Waters, Greg Allman & Warren Haynes, John Mayer, John Hiatt, John Prine, Mavis Staples,
Lucinda Williams, Jakob Dylan, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, and My Morning Jacket. Brian recently appeared at The Springsteen Honor Awards Show in the house band backing up Bruce, John Mellencamp, Jackson Browne, Mavis Staples, Darlene Love & Dion. The show will be broadcast as an upcoming PBS special...stay tuned!!!
A list of artists that Brian
has recorded or performed with over the years
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The Allman Brothers
Ayo
William Bell
Steven Bernstein & Diaspora Soul
Mary J Blige
Sugar Blue
David Bromberg
Jackson Browne
Jeff Buckley
Solomon Burke
Larry Campbell
Rosanne Cash
Joe Claussell
Marc Cohn
Elvis Costello
Willie Deville
Dion
Bob Dylan
Pee wee Ellis
Gloria Estevan
Donald Fagan (Steely Dan)
Peter Frampton
Clark Gayton & Fatboy Kanootch
Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top)
Jimmy Dale Gilmore
Al Green
Emmylou Harris
Levon Helm
Little Feat
Los Lobos
Garland Jeffries
David Johansen
Dr. John
Norah Jones
Salif Keita
BB King
Earl King
Femi Kuti
Betty Lavette
Lulu
John Lurie & The Lounge Lizards
James Maddock
Mojo Mancini
John Mayer
John Mellencamp
Zigaboo Modeliste (The Meters)
Mountain
Maria Muldaur
Willen Nile
Leo Nocentelli (The Meters)
Joan Osborne
Dolly Parton
Les Paul
​Buster Poindexter
Hugh Pool
Billy Preston
Todd Rundgren
Irma Thomas
Allen Toussaint
Chrstine Santelli
John Sebastion
Carly Simon
Bill Sims
Nina Simone (dance remix)
Bruce Springsteen
Mavis Staples
Hubert Sumlin
The Uptown Horns
Walter Wolfman Washington
Peter Wolf (J Geils Band)
Christopher Walken
Joe Walsh
Roger Waters (Pink Floyd)
Jim Weider
Leslie West
The Wild Magnolias
Hal Willner
Peter Wolf (J Geils)
Dwight Yoakum
Zucherro Fornaciari