Hello,this is Chris Braun.Before you dive into these press articles I would like to say
that you will notice they focus almost exclusively on me as I had a well known career in New York and also I guess a sensational special interest story which you will read about below.
My comment is that Jazz Roots is a collaboration essentially and consistently between myself and Kenneth Roy Berry over a now 9 &1/2 year time.
 For the last three years Guitarist Barry Finnerty famous for playing with Miles Davis among others has been the 3rd member of the group and one of my 1st friends in New York when we both arrived there in 1973.
My point is Jazz Roots has been focused the last 9 &1/2 years on the music.
We have rehearsed every week all that time accept for 2 of those years when we
had a steady gig each week.
We hope you find what you're looking for in our music find the news articles below interesting.
Chris Braun

  Beating the Odds                             Stephenie Hendriks  Sept.2010           
  Solid as granite, Chris Braun’s movements as he plays the drums are also, paradoxically, fluid and powerful. Arguably one of the few West Coast drummers with the fabled East Coast sound, you’d think he’d spent most of his life playing in New York City with the jazz greats. You’d be right about that, but that’s only part of his story. You can catch Chris Braun at Savanna Jazz Club this Sept., playing with keyboardist and vocalist Ken Berry.
   Hearing such an authentic jazz sound, usually found only on old recordings from the serious be-bop era, but coming from a California based drummer, is a rare treat here in the Bay Area. It is all the more special because when Chris returned to California after playing with Dave Liebman, George Coleman, Joe Lavono, Jack McDuff, Jack Walrath, Chet Baker, Eddie Jefferson, John Scofield and other jazz giants in New York City, it was because his career was cut short when he interrupted a robbery in a New York deli and received a blow to his head from the butt of a sawed off shotgun. Doctors’ prognosis for Chris’ recovery were not great  Chris say's " actually when I got here the Doctors after doing their tests said to me , Chris we can't figure out why you're still alive. You should be dead."
"I guess I kind of just ignored that and went to work." The ensuing decade found Chris using Tai Chi Chuan, He just finished a 6 year treatment and training from Dr. Pindy Wong P.Hd Lic acc, O. M. D..  healing his Blood pressure , head injury and over-all health.,  studying and practicing Boxing and above all, drumming and jazz music to recover from his brain injury.


Chris Says "Our concept is kind of unique.  We have rehearsed every Tuesday the last 8 years accept 2 of those yesrs when we had a steady gig that day.
It’s kind of like a Boxer when you step into the ring there is no overdubbing you either fight  for real or get Knocked out. With the invention of all the machines the jazz world lost a lot of it’s Fire and spirit. Hopefully our approach in recording and performing brings that old spirit and fire back. Please come down to Savanna jazz and see for yourself.”    With unwavering discipline, Braun continues to practice every day in his San Anselmo apartment of the last 9 years, and has found one of the few places in the Bay Area that
provides a place for true jazz players – Savanna Jazz on Mission near 25th street in San Francisco.
    Braun explains, “ I feel driven and have goals to simply practice and work until I can play the drums and the music as good as I possibly can. You need goals to stay focused and I have been I guess working on this my whole life accept the years I couldn't play because of my Head injury".

We get quite a few French tourists in at Savanna, and, you know, U.S. jazz musicians went over to Paris and the French culture supported jazz even when American audiences weren’t supporting it. The French audiences love the music, consistently here in this area. We have been together for so long  much of the music we are working on now is music I have always wanted to play but takes much rehearsal which is somewhat rare for jazz bands"
  Braun and ken Berry play with guitarist Barry Finnerty as the 3rd member of the band. Barry is known for playing with Miles Davis among others.     Today, Braun is in pretty good shape, and has ventured into playing B3  Hammond Organ and composing original but be-bop inspired jazz music. “This music just makes you feel  good or really feel as deep as you can also. With the influnces of Ken Berry's musical foundation I have enjoyed getting into other kinds of "popular" music as well." ”. "Ken is a musicians' Musician. He sings, Plays Keyboards & Bass and can play Anything, any style.

 Chris has helped members of the Marin Brain Injury Network with advice on healing with music and the techniques he learned. And so the story of Chris Braun and Jazz Roots  is still unfolding, with a jazz music form that is as powerful and complex as Chris himself.